“You can tell what they are by what they do”
A lot of
research in the 21st century has been devoted to developing and
clarifying the concept of leadership. Different models have been used to
establish the most appropriate approach to leadership and one of the most
recommended models is the servant leadership approach. It sounds very appealing
and authentic in theory however the practically application of it takes real
efforts and time to articulate. ‘Greatness ought to be measured in terms of
service not status and your greatness is determined by how many people you
serve.’ So the greatest among us ought to be a servant.
Anyone
can be a servant, all it requires is character. A servant must always be
standing by for duty and real servants do what is needed even when it is inconvenient.
Being a servant means giving up the right to control others and allowing to be
interrupted whenever the need arises. Servants see interruptions as divine
appointments for making a positive impact and are happy for the opportunity to
practice serving. Servants are always on
the lookout for ways to help others.
“When
someone in need is placed right in front of you, you are being given the opportunity
to grow in servant hood.”
We miss
many opportunities for serving because we lack sensitivity and spontaneity. It has
been said that great opportunities to serve never last long. If you wait for
perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. Infinite intelligence
expects you to do what you can with what you have whenever you can. Less than
perfect service is always better than the best intention.
Your heart
is unmasked when you are asked to serve in ways you don’t find necessarily
appealing. Small tasks often show a big heart. Great opportunities often
disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big
things. Before attempting the extra ordinary, try serving in ordinary ways. Your
servant’s heart is revealed in little acts that others don’t think of doing. As
a matter of fact, no task is beneath you when you have a servant’s heart. You
develop a servant’s heart when you are willing to do anything needed.
You can
retire from your career but you will never retire from serving others. Service starts
in your mind because attitude counts more than achievement. Servants focus on
others not themselves. Humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking
of ourselves less. When we stop focusing on our own needs we become aware of
the needs around us. It’s only when we forget ourselves that we do the things
that deserve to be remembered. Self denial is the core of servant hood. The most
significant service is often the service that is unseen.
“In
order to be of service to others, we have to give up measuring our meaning and
value with their yard stick. Thus we become free to be compassionate.”
Henry Nouwen
Serving
is the highest use of life. Servant hood is a mark of maturity.
I like the way it ends, The most significant service is often the service that is unseen, in fact what makes people greater is a large sum of the small things done in private. Leaders in the original text of the bible was originally referred to as servants, we can only touch lives through service and this is one of the greatest acts any leader can do. In my own understanding I believe leadership must not be fixed to a position because there are many ways lives can be touched by the flexibility any leader exhibits. Indeed a servant will know that no task is beneath them because service reveals the purpose for something which brings fulfillment when done. Thanks for sharing
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