Relatively few leadership books discuss serving as a foundational discipline. I find this true whether the books are from a business leadership perspective or from a Christian leadership perspective. Of course, most books include a peripheral mention of serving people, but it's often in the sense of meeting needs, and this can be done through a leader's oversight of or delegation to another.
But real leaders lead by taking the initiative themselves and getting their hands dirty. I believe it was Peter Drucker who wrote something like (and I don't know where), "Any leader worth his salt will set up chairs." Serving people in the finer, minute, lesser details is what sets servant leaders apart.
This is the difference between authoritative (positional) leadership and organic, open-source, "from beneath" leadership (servant leadership). Authoritative leaders dictate out of their position and perceived authority. Servant leaders lead by serving underneath someone, serving "up to" them, leading them by exerting influence through the relationship.
Servant leaders have inherent authority because their authority emerges out of who they are and their own personality, not out of a vague or vacuous title given to them by someone else.
What kind of leader are you? How do you influence others?
But real leaders lead by taking the initiative themselves and getting their hands dirty. I believe it was Peter Drucker who wrote something like (and I don't know where), "Any leader worth his salt will set up chairs." Serving people in the finer, minute, lesser details is what sets servant leaders apart.
This is the difference between authoritative (positional) leadership and organic, open-source, "from beneath" leadership (servant leadership). Authoritative leaders dictate out of their position and perceived authority. Servant leaders lead by serving underneath someone, serving "up to" them, leading them by exerting influence through the relationship.
Servant leaders have inherent authority because their authority emerges out of who they are and their own personality, not out of a vague or vacuous title given to them by someone else.
What kind of leader are you? How do you influence others?
RSS Feed
