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SERVANT LEADERSHIP
In his book, "The Top Ten
Mistakes Leaders Make",
Hans Finzel writes, "...everyone in our
organization rests on my shoulders
and I am at the bottom of an inverted pyramid. I
spend countless hours
helping others be effective by providing them
the facts, the energy, the
resources, the networks, the information, or
whatever else they need to
do an effective job. Most of my day is spent
laying aside my own priorities
to help others fulfill theirs. Sometimes that
will require hours of nitty-gritty
work alongside those workers to help them get
their jobs done."
—"The Top Ten Mistakes
Leaders Make", p. 29. Illustration
by Jim L. Wilson
Matthew 23:11-12 (ESV) "The
greatest among you shall
be your servant. [12] Whoever exalts himself
will be humbled, and whoever
humbles himself will be exalted."
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SERVANT LEADERSHIP
Cliff Barrrows struggled with
Billy Graham's invitation
to join his team and partner with him in his
crusade ministry. Because
he was a gifted preacher himself, he had many
options. He could continue
in a leading role with "Youth For Christ," form
his own evangelist organization
or become a local church Pastor. His decision to
join Graham shows the
heart of servant leadership. He said, "Bill, you
know the struggle we've
had about whether we join your team, and the
Lord has given us peace in
our hearts. As long as you want us to, I'll be
content to be your song
leader, carry your bag, go anywhere, do anything
you want me to do."
—Leadership Secrets of Billy
Graham, p. 43. Illustration
by Jim L. Wilson
Luke 22:26 (HCSB) "But it
must not be like that among
you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among
you must become like the
youngest, and whoever leads, like the one
serving."
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
In his book, Leading
Without Power, Max De Pree
writes, “I’ve often noticed the manager of a
professional sports team or
a member of Congress or a pastor using the
phrase “my people.”Even though
such an expression may rise from the best of
motivations and real concern,
to the ear of a follower this language reveals
perception 180 degrees from
reality. Leaders belong to their followers. A
director should refer to
employees as “the people I serve.”What a
different reality that is! And
what a different effect on followers.”
--Leading Without Power,
71. Illustration by Jim
L. Wilson
Luke 9:48b (NIV) “For he who
is least among you all--he
is the greatest."
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
When tribal elders selected Crazy Horse as a
leader of his people, it
brought him no riches. “to the contrary, he was
expected to live modestly
(as he did anyway), keep only those ponies he
actually needed for the hunt
or war and give away the others, distribute his
meat to the helpless ones,
especially the choicest cuts such as the tongue
or hump of the buffalo,
saving only the stringy leg muscle for
himself.”
--Stephen E. Ambrose, Crazy Horse and Custer,
Doubleday, 1975 p. 136.
Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell
Jesus made it clear, his disciples were to be
servant leaders.
Mark 10:42-45 (NASB)(42) Calling them to
Himself, Jesus said* to them,
"You know that those who are recognized as
rulers of the Gentiles lord
it over them; and their great men exercise
authority over them.
(43) "But it is not this way among you, but
whoever wishes to become great
among you shall be your servant;
(44) and whoever wishes to
be first among you shall be slave of
all. (45) "For even the
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give His life
a ransom for many."
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
In his book, Leadership and Conflict, Speed
Leas writes, Leadership
demands the attention of the leader to the needs
of the followers. When
the leader dos not respond to these needs, he or
she will soon be alone.
--Leadership and Conflict, P. 25 Illustration
by Jim L. Wilson
1 Corinthians 4:1 (GW) “People should think of
us as servants of Christ
and managers who are entrusted with God's
mysteries.”
SERVANT LEADER
In Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, Eric
Metaxas writes, “The authority of a servant
leader, as opposed to the authoritarianism of the
mis-leader, came from God and was a leadership of
serving those below oneself.” —Jim L. Wilson
Metaxas, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy,
269.
Mark 10:42–45 (HCSB) Jesus called them over and
said to them, “You know that those who are
regarded as rulers of the Gentiles dominate them,
and their men of high positions exercise power
over them. 43 But it must not be like that among
you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become
great among you must be your servant, 44 and
whoever wants to be first among you must be a
slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and to give His
life —a ransom for many.”
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