Servant Leadership 101

There is a swing in corporate boardrooms and human resource training that has nothing to do with innovation and productivity. It is a shift in philosophy away from the dog-eat-dog way of climbing to the top and stomping on top of people along the way. It is not your father's way of doing business but in this world of consciousness, it is the one way to best identify the new heart and soul of today's businessmen and women. That philosophy is a new way of leading. Its foundation is spiritual and its roots old and ancient but the effect that servant leadership has on an organization whether non-profit or for-profit is immeasurable.

At a grassroots level, servant leadership rests on an individual's willingness to lead through serving. This practice or philosophy is intent on building team dynamics in a corporate structure and eliminating the hierarchal governing that many corporations are used to. In servant leadership, executives and managers embrace the challenge of transitioning employees from an I-first mentality to a no-I-in-team concept.

Many corporate coaches and trainers typically use Jesus Christ as the premiere model of servant leadership. His words and style are often quoted as the standard for how to lead while serving. In fact, one of Jesus' most profound statements serves as the benchmark for servant leadership when several of his disciples (a body of twelve men He was mentoring) argued about who would be first and have place and presence with Him. To which Jesus said, let him who seeks to lead first become a servant to all. This completely mulled his disciples as their only view of leadership was shaped around the Roman culture they had seen. But in this piece of history, Jesus explains that true leadership, servant leadership, has nothing to do with authority and more to do with influence and real influence is found serving.