3 Keys To Being A Servant Leader

Everyone wants success!

In fact, we inherently have this because no one starts out wanting to fail or to give up. We all have an inner desire to succeed and make a difference. We dream big, reach high, and believe it’s going to happen. Then we get older and things change.

Have you noticed?

Negativity, cynicism, and criticism are learned behaviors and if we’re not careful, they can dictate our lives and rob us of success.

Too many times, we are limited by our attitude and thoughts. This can cause us to miss the moment of opportunity, and short-circuit our success as leaders.

Because of this pattern, people everywhere clamor for the secret to success to ensure that they have it. This produces high levels of competition, and seeking to be better than others. This is both shallow and misdirected, leaving us unfulfilled and empty-handed.

But there’s a better way for us!

When we do life God’s way everything comes into focus and as leaders we can have the success that gives life and meaning.

So, what is the secret to success?

According to Jesus, it’s serving others.

“11. The greatest among you must be a servant. 12. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭11‬-‭12‬

The greatest leaders and successful leaders are servant leaders.

They see the big picture and lead by example and not by command. This is a paradigm shift from what culture says is great.

To Jesus, serving is being great and leads to success. To Jesus when we humble ourselves we’ll be promoted. However; when we exalt ourselves we will be humbled.

Notice that promotion comes from being a servant leader. Success comes from being a servant leader. Fulfillment, legacy, and purpose come from being a servant leader. This is what Jesus modeled for us and it’s what we’re called to do.

Leadership is NOT about people serving us, it’s about us serving them!

Leadership is NOT about people making our dreams happen, it’s about empowering them to do a dream together!

Servant leaders build teams and build people. This gives others a chance to grow while discovering their potential. This is what serving others does and when we do it, we will have success.

Here are three ways to be a servant leader that has success.

1st – Be fast with tasks and slow with people.

I heard this phrase from a great friend and leader in my life, Pastor Marcus. It resonated within me as it gave clarity to my daily interactions with people.

We all are busy and as leaders, we are navigating a lot of things. But, if we fixate on tasks, we will get things done alone and miss people along the way. People are more important than tasks. People are the commodity both for our teams and for the organizations we lead. Without people, we fail. Being a servant leaders of others, we can succeed.

The legacy we leave is what we give to those around us versus the tasks we did. Furthermore, to build leaders we must delegate authority and not tasks.

It’s people, people, and people!

I encourage you, to be fast with tasks and slow with people.

2nd – Be a team builder.

Being a team builder empowers others to have a place to thrive and use their gifts. They don’t make it about “me” but rather “we” and let others have ownership in what’s being done.

Vision, goals, purpose, and more require a team to achieve them. Without this, it doesn’t happen and it’s really lonely.

This is huge when it comes to being successful because no one can be successful alone. All of us need other people to move forward in life; therefore, being a team builder is imperative.

Are you building a team?

When we build a team, we’re giving others ownership in the vision we’re reaching for. When everyone has ownership, great things happen. Success happens.

3rd – Be compassionate.

Having compassion is needed to have success. It enlarges our hearts to care, to give, to feel, to love, and to help others. In fact, compassion causes us to come alive with the motivation to make a difference as a servant leaders.

Compassion also helps us be in touch with the reality of others which causes us to be aware of what’s going on. I believe that we can’t have meaningful success if we don’t know what’s going on. Compassion is passion in motion and it’s what we need to make a difference.

Right now, our country could use more compassion. We are divided over so many things which causes us to shut down, being compassionate toward those that are different from us. But this is a limited way to lead and it’s not Christ-like. We are called to be peacemakers meaning we build bridges, speak truth in love, and have compassion for others.

“And on some have compassion, making a distinction;”

Jude‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬

Do you have compassion?

When we have compassion, we are showing the love of Jesus to those around us and furthermore, we let the healing of Jesus comes through us to others too.

The secret to success is being a servant!

Choose to be a servant leader in your family, your church, your business, your friends, your community, and more.

Have the kind of success that impacts generations and eternity!

Have a great week and the best is yet to come,
PD