Presented by Lauren Stibgen

Did you know the widely-used workplace term servant leader doesn’t have roots in the Bible? Sometimes, when something seems to fit what we believe as followers of Jesus, we easily ascribe it to what we know from the Bible. You and I know there is no better wisdom for living than God’s Word! Whether in our personal or business life, we find truth and goodness for any situation we face in His Word. And, although the author and scholar who coined this term didn’t find this truth from the Bible, we clearly see the Word calls us to lead lives as servant leaders.

What is it mean to be a servant leader? Coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 in an essay “The Servant as a Leader”, Greenleaf seeks to understand a character from a fictional story—not the Bible. This story talks about a band of men on a mythical journey who have a servant who cares for their every need. “Once he disappears, their band falls apart, and everything is in disarray.” One of the members finds the servant later, and discovers he is a “guiding spirit, and noble leader.”[1]

To my listeners today, this is why abiding in the Word and in community with other believers is critical! We might say Greenleaf was reading biblical allegory, but he was not! Greenleaf goes on to describe who a servant leader is. Some of a servant’s characteristics include someone who desires to serve and then become a leader rather than having a leader-first attitude seeking unusual power or material possessions. A servant leader makes sure the needs of other people are his highest priority, and they are receiving benefits from the servant leader. Further descriptors of servant leadership include empowering others, standing back to let others shine, humility, authenticity, courage, accountability, acceptance of other perspectives, and stewardship.

Let’s replace this fictional character and the worldly descriptors and think of Jesus in God’s word, which is where we need to seek our wisdom about being a servant leader!

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[1] Greenleaf, R. K. (1970). The servant as leader. The Greenleaf Center For Servant Leadership, Cop.