What Leadership Is and What it's Not

Servant-leadership is real time leadership

Jesus was an outstanding leader because He was a servant. He did not only advise His disciples to serve others, He led by example as he was addicted to serving others. He wasn’t looking out for people that will serve Him; He was looking out for people to serve.

In Matthew 9:35, Jesus said “…if any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all”. You are not a leader because people serve you. You are a leader when you serve others. The moment you see yourself as lord over others, you lose your place in leadership. Remember, leadership is not a position, leadership is a disposition; -the disposition of service.

Jesus in His statement meant to say; if you want to be the head, you must learn to think less of yourself and think more about the welfare of those you lead. If you want to be the first, make yourself the last.

Don’t try to be first by exploiting people. Don’t lobby your way to the top. Be a servant. That is the genuine way to the top. You need to lower yourself. Humble yourself. Many heads of groups are so proud they want everyone to worship them.

Jesus, the first born of God Himself stooped so low that He was washing the feet of ordinary men. In fact, He said to Peter; “…if I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me” (John 13:8). In other words, the only way you can create lasting impact on your followers is by serving them, not asking them to serve you.

Today we have more lords than servants and that is why we have so many failing organizations and groups. We have more masters than stewards, so the world is in chaos. Everybody wants to be a master; only few want to do what is required.

Leaders are makers. As a leader, let your focus be to establish people, not to use them. When Jesus called His disciples, He said “follow me and I will MAKE you fishers of men”. We have so many users of men, but only few makers of men.

What becomes of people after they have had contact with you? How do you leave them? Is it better or worse? Your goal as a leader is to improve your followers, not to deplete them while enriching yourself. You must enrich them too in every aspect of their lives.

In many nations of the world today, the people we call leaders are mostly extortionists. They’re people who use political power to suppress and oppress citizens. We have many exploiters in offices today. The third world nations are especially wallowing in stagnation because they are led by gluttons. We have so many leaders that don’t care to invest in their followers; rather they invest in their stomachs.

It’s time to experience a turning point. Leaders arise and lead responsibly. You are not a leader because you occupy an office; you are a leader because you affect people positively. You are only a good leader when you become a servant of all (Mark 10:44).