Grosey's Messages

Servant Leadership

"Servant Leadership" is a term often used by dictatorial people as a means of control in churches.

Mark 10: 42 "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The Issue of Power.  We try to control things around us so as to keep our world liveable.

But: God's way is primarily the way of trusting Him.

Spears (1998) lists ten characteristics of servant-leadership.

1. Listening - This encompasses listening receptively and attentively to what is being said,

as well as listening to one's inner voice.

2. Empathy - This is related to active listening. In addition, empathetic listeners also

demonstrate acceptance and understanding of co-workers and subordinates.

3. Healing - True servant-leadership is a force of transformation, which provides healing to

self and others, so that wholeness can be achieved.

4. Awareness -This attribute includes both general and self-awareness. A servant-leader not

only understands the situation in a holistic way, but also understands his or her own

limitations.

5. Persuasion - Servant-leaders seek to convince others and build consensus within groups;

they do not use positional authority to coerce compliance.

6. Conceptualization - Servant-leaders demonstrate broad-based systems thinking and "provide the visionary concept for an institution" (p. 5).

7. Foresight - Servant-leaders "understand the lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely consequence of a decision for the future" (p. 5).

8. Stewardship -This is based on Peter Block's concept. He defines stewardship as holding the institution in trust for the greater good of society. Servant-leadership also stresses the need for leaders to serve the needs of others.

9. Commitment to the Growth of the People - Servant-leaders take an active interest in the growth and well being of every one in the organization; they take concrete actions to stimulate the personal and professional development of their workers.

10. Building Community - Servant-leaders not only build a sense of community among those who work within an institution, but also people in the larger society. According to

Greenleaf (1991, p. 30), "all that is needed to rebuild community as a viable life form for larger numbers of people is for enough servant-leaders to show the way, not by mass movements, but by each servant-leader demonstrating his own unlimited liability for a quite specific community-related group."

 

A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Servant Leadership

I. Character--Orientation Being- What kind of person is the leader?)

Concerned with cultivating a servant's attitude, focusing on the leader's values,

credibility and motive.

• Integrity                        • Humility                          • Servanthood

II. People-Orientation (Relating: How does the leader relate to others?)

Concerned with developing human resources, focusing on the leader's relationship

with people and his/her commitment to develop others.

• Caring for others                 • Empowering others                       • Developing others

III. Task-Orientation (Doing: What does the leader do?)

Concerned with achieving productivity and success, focusing on the leader's tasks

and skills necessary for success.

• Visioning                   • Goal setting            • Leading

IV. Process-Orientation (Organizing: How does the leader impact organizational

processes?)

Concerned with increasing the efficiency of the organization, focusing the leader's

ability to model and develop a flexible, efficient and open system.

• Modelling                   • Team building                    • Shared decision-making

Bottum and Lenz (1998) have listed the guiding principles for business based on the Beatitudes.

Matt 5:3  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4      "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5      "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6      "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7      "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8      "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9      "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10    "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11    "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Their list includes the following:

(1) self-transcendence;

(2) service-sensitivity to the needs of others;

(3) commitment to values;

(4) achievement, productivity;

(5) nurturing the positive in people;

(6) integrity;

(7) team-building, peacemaking,

(8) growth through adversity, endurance.  

The attribute of integrity includes "genuine, sincere, open, authentic, trusting and trustworthy"    (Bottum and Lenz, 1998, p. 159).  It is to be noted that A.A. and other addiction breaking organizations have used the Beatitudes as a guideline for their "twelve step" programs.

After reviewing 50 years of leadership literature, Fiedler and House (1988) concluded that

task accomplishment and interpersonal relationship are the two major categories of leader behavior.

 

Yielding of Rights in Interpersonal Relationships

A TRIANGLE!  All human relationships operate in a 'triangle' fashion! That is, all relationships have 3 sides— we have rights, expectations, and responsibilities. Sometimes rights and expectations may overlap. Sometimes rights and expectations are based on what is good, honorable, and Biblical. On the other hand, they can be based on tradition, on how I was raised, or upon selfishness, etc.
REALITY: About 99.999999% of all ANGER in relationships is in direct proportion to the fact that someone has VIOLATED or neglected our rights and/or expectations— OR at least we believe that they have … OR … they believe that we have violated their rights and/or expectations!
THUS, MOST fussin' feudin', fightin', resentments, bitterness, and etc. … are about UNMET rights and expectations! 
In such settings every time someone dishes out an accusation of real or imagined unmet needs, rights, and expectations— usually the only thing accomplished is that the other party now has more ammunition!
THIS BATTLE OF OPPOSING ACCUSATIONS will provide enough ammo to shoot against one another until hell freezes.
COMMON to these tragic wars are the battle tactics of
(1) Defending self and accusing others;
(2) Blame-shifting, putting up smoke-screens;
(3) Gathering an army of supporters to promote 'our side' ... 
(4) Confessing the real or imagined sins/faults of the other person — instead of obeying Scripture and only confessing OUR OWN faults! (James 5:16; 1 John 1:9); — thus, it is no wonder that 'emotional blood and guts' lie everywhere!
CRITICAL ALERT: The longer these sin-filled, satan-pleasing tactics are used there will be growing hardness of heart, resentments, bitterness, hopelessness, destruction of families, destruction of churches, and above all a deepening REJECTION of Jesus Christ!
When we are fighting such wars with such tactics— No one is focused on heeding their God-given responsibilities, their GOD-GIVEN ASSIGNMENTS!   
Moreover, we feel fully justified for not carrying out our God-given responsibilities— for, after all, 'the other person' – (spouse, fellow church member, relative, neighbor, or whoever) - is not carrying out theirs!  "He/she/they are not meeting MY needs. He/she/they are not loving me the way I NEED to be loved.
IN FACT, he/she/they are being down-right evil toward me. I have it all documented! (He/she/they need counseling— I don't… except to share how he/she/they have deeply wounded me!
Of course, I am not perfect; but he/she/they are the ones with serious problems— not me!")
YES, from time to time, others in our world do and say bad things and those bad things can wound and HURT. Legitimate rights and expectations are not met. However, none of this excuses us from our own God-given responsibilities!
REALITY: WARS escalate. Love and hope dies. Divorce follows … or churches split … or worse— ALL BECAUSE OF HOW WE MIS-HANDLE RIGHTS, EXPECTATIONS, and RESPONSIBILITY!
WHAT WAS JESUS' SECRET?
1. JESUS YIELDED HIS RIGHTS! Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ gives us a striking example of complete obedience and surrender to God. In the Book of Philippians, we read that although Jesus was equal with God, He humbled Himself to live among men and to redeem them from the bondage of sin. The evil that was dumped on Jesus was unspeakable— yet He never took His eyes off His responsibilities!
Christians, (by the Holy Spirit) have JESUS INDWELLING. We have divine life and power, and commands from Jesus to walk in His steps: 
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5–8).
2. Jesus Yielded His Right to Wealth!
In order for Jesus Christ to redeem men and women from sin, He left the splendor, beauty, and majesty of heaven. Jesus is God, the Creator of all things; He had a right to enjoy all wealth and riches (see Colossians 1:15–17), yet He confined Himself to the limited means of a carpenter's household.
3. Jesus Yielded His Right to a Good Reputation! In heaven, Jesus is continually worshiped and His name highly honored. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When Jesus came into the world, however, He "made himself of no reputation" (Philippians 2:7). Rather than being born into wealth and prominence, Jesus was born into poverty and obscurity. Religious leaders claimed that Jesus was born of fornication. JESUS only went about doing good— even so, He lost popularity and his character was maliciously slandered.
Christ's ultimate humiliation came when He was arrested, falsely accused, and crucified. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Galatians 3:13).
REALITY: Regardless of the cost, Jesus lived on earth to please His Father. He did not come to be served. He did not come to demand His rights. He did not react in anger when He was violated. He stayed focused on doing His Father's will. Joy and Happiness are not dependent upon others treating us right!
1 Peter 2:19-21: "For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.  For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.  For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:.." (NKJV)
1 Peter 4:12-16: "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;  but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter." (NKJV)

 

Psalm 37:1- 8How do we gain the personal security we need to yield to others our rights?

1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!

2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.