Business, government and the world are in an endless quest for the “ideal leader.” Many seminars are engaged in learning what makes a “true leader.”
I join those who advocate that a true leader is a servant-leader. The thinking here is that inspiring and effective leadership lies not in searching for new and better leaders, but paradoxically, in better followers, as one mentor Willy Arcilla, from Business Mentors Inc., has stated. He stresses that “leadership is discipleship.” Thus, a good leader is a good follower.
Another noted speaker, Atty. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato of the Center for Servant Leadership, has defined servant-leaders to have 10 basic characteristics: (1) listening; (2) empathy; (3) healing; (4) awareness; (5) persuasion; (6) conceptualization; (7) foresight; (8) stewardship; (9) commitment to the growth of people; and (10) building community.
The traditional boss is one who commands, expects his orders to be carried out and is motivated by personal desire to achieve.
The servant-leader listens and is sensitive to what motivates others and empowers others to win with shared goals and vision, with empathy.
A sympathetic leader is aware of the difficulties of those around him, bringing a sense of healing and comfort. He has the persuasive skills, rather than a brusque way of ordering, thus getting things done effectively, having in mind the realization that to be a good leader, he must be able to follow, as well.
In contrast to the traditional leader who is highly competitive, has an independent mind-set and seeks to receive personal credit for achievement, the servant-leader is highly collaborative and interdependent, sharing credit with others generously. He focuses on gaining understanding, and uses his intuition and foresight to balance facts, shares the big picture rather than concentrates on the short-term details. He is a good listener, is respectful even if he disagrees. He feels that personal value comes from mentoring and working collaboratively with others, rather than from individual talents.
The traditional leader sees a network of supporters as a power base, but a servant-leader is more concerned with developing access to a network of constituencies, and breaks down unmitigated demand for hierarchy.
A servant-leader is committed to the growth of his people, builds up the community and is able to listen to the input of others. In contrast to the usual attitude that accountability has to do with finding who is to blame, to a servant-leader, accountability is about making it safe to learn from mistakes. Above all, a servant-leader realizes that it is all about stewardship, not ownership.
One wonders really whether modern-day leaders are truly effective, notwithstanding all the billions spent on training seminars and development courses. So how come all those unprecedented financial failures, the huge debts accumulated by the US, the bankruptcy of many governments, the tensions and instability in the Middle East and other developing countries, and the widening gap between rich and poor? Pope Francis called attention to the current “throw-away” culture, which has not only marginalized the poor but indeed excludes them.
The servant-leader ensures good governance and, above all, has a vision of the future for himself and others.
The best example, of course, of a visionary servant-leader is Jesus Christ. In the book Jesus, CEO by Laurie Beth Jones, she enumerates, among others, the following qualities of a visionary servant-leader: (1) he kept in contact with his Boss (the Father); (2) he had a plan, a mission; (3) he owned it; (4) he believed in himself; (5) he did difficult things; (6) he was willing to look foolish; (7) he formed a team; (8) he trained his replacements; (9) he gave them a vision of something larger than themselves; (10) he gave them authority (to forgive); (11) he gave them (and us) something tangible to remember him by (the Eucharist); (12) he did not waste time judging others; (13) he said “thank you,” (14) he had compassion for the crowds; and (15) he loved them to the end. All these characteristics of “Jesus, CEO” are to be found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.