And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45 ESV)
John Maxwell affirms, “The road to biblical leadership comes through service. Leaders may find themselves in the spotlight, but they also take the heat that often comes with that place of prominence. They speak up for the sake of the mission, but they are also willing to remain silent when it serves the organization. And at any moment, they must be willing to make all kinds of sacrifices for the sake of their people.”
“Whatever our career may be, true leadership means to receive power from God and to use it under Gods rule to serve people in Gods way,” Leighton Ford admonishes.
Romans 15:1-6 reminds us that leadership is about serving others. A servant…
1. Denies self. Leaders look to the interest of others, not their own. They seek to meet needs outside of themselves rather than spending their days trying to figure out how to meet their own needs.
2. Develops others. We are to add value to others. J. Carla Nortcutt says, “The goal of many leaders is to get people to think more highly of the leader. The goal of a great leader is to help people to think more highly of themselves.”
3. Accepts mistreatment. As a leader, you will often be misunderstood, wrongfully criticized, and sometimes unjustly accused. Even when you have done the right thing, fingers will be pointed. We are to forgive wrongs and continue to serve people in a spirit of love.
4. Imitates Christ. When we look to Jesus as our example, we see the greatest form of servant-leadership ever modeled. When we follow him around in scripture, He was constantly looking to His Father (Commander In Chief) for daily communion. He didn’t get his affirmation from fickle humanity. When we constantly get our strength from intimacy with the Father, we are imitating Christ, and we have the strength and fuel to serve others.
5. Learns consistently. When we stop learning, we stagnate leading. If we are no longer developing, we are no longer leading. Leaders are lifetime learners, not “Reverend Know-It-Alls.” They have a personal growth plan to lead and develop themselves.
6. Pursues relational harmony. As far as it depends upon you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). As leaders, we are to aspire peace and pursue unity with others. Even when it’s uncomfortable.