Yesterday, John Roberts, nominee to be the Chief Justice for the Supreme Court of the United States stated in his opening remarks, " Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around." I find it significant that a man who aspires to the position as the top judge of the most powerful nation in the world should begin his confirmation hearing with these words.
Servanthood. This is authentic leadership. This is what faith at work looks like.
I have heard it said that a servant leader is a servant who leads rather then a leader who serves.
Leaders who serve are persons who choose to enter public service for reasons of position, power, personal strength, privilege or prestige. Authority and influence is what is important to them. Many politicians fit this category. This is why the general public has such a high disdain for politicians.
To be in politics one must have a certain sense of one's own capability. High self esteem or ego, seems to be a prerequisite for the person who is willing to endure the mud that public scrutiny will inevitably bring. So to think highly of oneself when all around think differently requires ego. Pride besets many who aspire to such leadership.
Yet, there is the rare leader who can transcend the position, the ego, the self importance and grasp the nettle of what leadership really means. Leadership means service first not ego first. It means sacrifice, integrity, consideration, empowering others in a team, being relational, people first, and forgiving wrongs. It means walking humbly. Here are ten qualities for supreme servant leadership.
Ten Qualities of a Supreme Servant Leader
1. Sacrifice. The test of leadership is found in the willingness of the leader to lay down their lives for those who they lead. True servant leaders are known not by their significant accomplishments but by their legacy of lives transformed by the power of self sacrifice and love.
2. Credibility. Supreme servant leaders prove the sincerity of their service by demonstrating it in the excellent work that they do. Their actions recommend the credibility of their leadership. Ask their employees. Ask their co workers. Ask their families. Ask those on the receiving end of that service. Is this person a true servant leader? They will know.
3. Considerate. Supreme servant leaders consider the interest of others above their own interest. That is, they are willing to set aside the drive to succeed so that another may succeed. They are the first to lift up others for praise.
4. Empowering. Supreme servant leaders empower people to do great exploits rather than exploiting people to gain power for themselves. They believe in the people they work with and they trust them to do the job. They always believe the best about others and ask questions before jumping to conclusions.
5. Team oriented. Supreme servant leaders achieve results through truth, trust, team collaboration and community. They are committed to speak the truth no matter how uncomfortable it may be. They engender trust through their faithfulness. They would rather collaborate in a team environment than compete. They build community rather than tear it down.
6. People first. For supreme servant leaders, people are beings of infinite value and intrinsic worth rather than instruments of productivity. For them "there are not little people and no ordinary work."
7. Relational. Supreme servant leaders act out of foundational commitment to relationship that governs every interaction with others. Tasks are important but not as important as relationship. For supreme servant leaders failure is an opportunity for learning, not for discipline.
8. Accountable. Supreme servant leaders are open to correction based on agreed set of common commitments. They are willing to submit to others in a spirit of humility. They are careful to walk circumspectly knowing that life and work is complex and it is always difficult to judge who is right and who is wrong.
9. Patient. Supreme servant leaders wait for a solution to recommend itself rather than rushing in to fix a problem thereby creating more problems. They are prudent, able to discern fact from fiction. They do the due diligence necessary to make a wise decision.
10. Forgiving. Supreme servant leaders have a healthy respect for human frailty. They take offenses out of circulation through forgiveness. They are the first to bear responsibility when things go wrong.
Jesus is the Supreme Servant Leader
Above all, the supreme example of servant leadership is seen in a man from Nazareth who embodied servant leadership in his life and death 2000 years ago. Jesus said, "For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45. He also said, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
I have written on Jesus' example of servant leadership in my article: On Being a Certified Failure at the Life of Jesus, Why it is Okay to Celebrate Missing the Mark.
Society needs Supreme Servant Leadership
Supreme servant leadership is the kind of leadership we need in a society that has all but written off public service as a worthwhile career. It augers well for the United States that they have a man who is willing to serve first his country and its laws in such a way.
For more on servant leadership I recommend
- Mission as an Organizing Principle by C. William Pollard, Chairman of Service Master Company.
- Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership
- Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness by Robert Greenleaf.
See these other blogs on Robert's nomination.
The Roberts nomination - http://daddypundit.blogspot.com/2005/09/roberts-nomination.html
ProfessorBainbridge.com: Roberts Takes the Easy Way Out
Judicial Nomination Coverage From National Journal Group