Many books have been written about being a servant leader and leading like Jesus. You may have read some of them. But what is a servant leader?
Servant leader defined
It is defined as a philosophy in which the leader’s goal is to serve the team and the clients. That means the leader shares power, puts the needs of the team and clients first and helps each person develop and perform at their best.
“True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that can’t be mandated. It must be earned. The only thing a title can buy is a little time – either to increase your level of influence with others or to erase it.”
John Maxwell
You and I have the power to earn the title God has given us as the servant leaders of our businesses.
How can you grow your influence as a servant leader?
Servant leaders are people who are focused.
- Creating consistency in the way you show up in your business
- Adopting humility as a way of interacting with others in your business
We’ll go through THREE qualities of humble people and give you practices you can start right now to show up with more humility, stay more consistent in your business, and become the servant leader God calls you to be.
Humility is not
We have to begin, though, with some clarification about humility. It is frequently associated with being too passive, submissive, or insecure. Is this the way you may have viewed it?
The opposite is true. Humble people are confident and competent in themselves so much that, as a result, they seek to find ways to realize their potential by helping others realize theirs.
Humble people also believe in their ability to execute the actions that help them achieve their goals. They understand the work necessary to do this and are willing to make the sacrifices needed for their success and the success of others.
To be humble is not to think less of oneself but of oneself less.
With that in mind, let’s identify what humility looks like, how you can adopt greater humility for yourself, and how, with consistency, you can be the servant leader God wants you to be.
Three ways humility and consistency help us
Create and maintain relationships
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:10
Because humble people know their self-worth, they don’t need to cast themselves before others to show them how much they know. Instead, they realize nobody cares how much they know until those people know how much they care about them.
This is so true of everyone we meet. I like to imagine each person I interact with as if they have a sign across their forehead that says, “Make me feel important.”
Here are some ways you can do this:
- By actively listening to others (not thinking about what you are going to say next)
- Being eager to understand (making a point of reiterating what they are saying)
- Not dominating a conversation (or interrupting)
- Always staying curious (asking lots of questions)
Studies have shown that humble people are likelier to help friends and maintain stronger personal and professional relationships.
God has told us in scripture how to create and maintain these relationships by. . .
- encouraging one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
- submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
- giving counsel to one another (Colossians 3:16)
Because when you practice humility in this way, you receive grace (1 Peter 5:5) to do it consistently.
Speak your mind in truth and love
Humble people aren’t afraid to speak their minds because being wrong is not a fear. They summon the courage to face difficulty as they graciously accept to sacrifice themselves.
The sacrifice of self can be difficult at times, but it is necessary when living up to God’s standard of leadership. We have to realize that it is never a win-lose situation but a win-win one when we do business in God’s way.
I realized many years ago that I just don’t have all the answers. No one does. Once I could acknowledge that, God humbled me to ask for the help I needed without worry.
There really are simple ways to speak the truth in love:
- Taking time to say ‘thank you’ (especially to those that are overlooked)
- Starting sentences with ‘you’ rather than ‘I’ (placing others at the forefront of your thoughts)
- Assuming responsibility (by speaking up and owning your part)
Another activity humble people do not fear is feedback, giving, and receiving. They know that when actively sought together, constructive criticism clears a pathway for improvement in everyone.
And, of course, God has given us scripture for how to speak our minds in love by. . .
- not lying to one another (Ephesians 4:25)
- providing hospitality (1 Peter 4:9)
- taking an interest in others (Philippians 2:4)
- confessing and praying for one another (James 5:16)
so we grow consistently more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15) in all areas of our lives.
Make decisions with ease
Hebrews 3:12-13 exhorts by saying this,
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.
Hebrews 3:12-13
You might be asking, How does this verse apply to decision-making? It reminds us that we have to keep our hearts in check and not allow ‘worldly’ influences to take us away from making wise choices.
Think of it this way. . . since humble people put others’ needs before their own, that means when they are faced with decisions, they respect moral and ethical boundaries, thinking of others over their self-interests.
You can make decisions better by:
- Practicing emotional intelligence (being self-aware and outward-focused)
- Creating a filter for decision-making (based on the Bible)
The best decisions are those that benefit the most people. God’s Word can give you all the guidance you need to make the best decisions for your business and life.
Here is a start on how you can use the Bible for your most important decisions. . .
- think of others better than yourself (Philippians 2:3)
- fix your thoughts on God’s ways (Philippians 4:8)
- keep practicing all you are learning (Philippians 4:9)
and God promises to be with you consistently (Matthew 28:20) in all you do.
How to display humility and consistency
Humility really displays a willingness to learn and to become better, two things that everybody should cultivate. How do you think you are doing? Here’s a quick checklist. Are these qualities displayed in your life?
- Peace
- Value relationships
- Contentment
- Simplicity
- Teachable
- Grateful
- Slow to offend
- Quick to forgive
- Patient
- Ask for help
- Know limitations
- Happy for others’ success
How did that go? In what areas can you improve? How will you start? I would love to know down in the comments.
It all begins with looking inside. Take time to reflect on the servant leader God is asking you to be. This inside work is the most critical work you will do because. . .
Understanding how God designed YOU is key. And that’s why the Calling Clarity Course is the best way to create a God-centered business, become the leader He wants you to be, and take your business to the next level through the community.
Let’s connect. How can I help you get started?
Leave a Reply