Embodying Servant Leadership: A Guide to Leading with Compassion and Purpose

Being a servant leader takes a special kind of person. Many of us fill the role of leader or are quote, unquote being leaders without realizing it. We provide support and guidance to others. We step in and take the helm and lead the charge, so to speak, but are you being a “servant leader”? When you look at the two words “servant leader,” one may focus on the word servant and not necessarily on the word leader. Your thoughts may automatically steer toward the lines of being subservient. As that being the behavior identified. Quite frankly, that is not so. Being a “servant” does not have to mean being subservient to others. It is someone who has the willingness to care for and serve others no matter what capacity or role you are in. Being a leader and a servant at the same time is someone who takes ownership of their role. The capacity of the two roles is all in one. I know you are saying wait, what? Let me explain. A person who is a leader or is in a leadership role delegates and orchestrates the roles and responsibilities of the task outlined for the operation to move forward. They pull from their experience and background to aid in these efforts. But being a servant leader goes way beyond pulling from your background and experience or even overseeing others handling a task. A servant leader emulates the qualities of leadership demonstrated by our Heavenly Father. 

The characteristics of a servant leader are compassion, being a follower, a good listener, a coach, and having a willingness to learn. One of the greatest examples of being a servant leader is in the Bible. A man by the name of Jesus. A true example of servant leadership. He walked as a servant leader. He worked as a servant leader. He lived as a servant leader. He showed care and compassion to his fellow man. He walked in love and forgiveness. Ephesians 4:22 says “Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”. To be a servant leader, you must embody the characteristics that Jesus embodied. You must be able to show compassion. You must be a follower. You cannot always be in the leadership role. You must have a willingness to listen. You must be a coach and have a willingness to learn. Do you embody any of those characteristics? How are you as a leader?  Do you walk in love and forgiveness? Are you kind and tenderhearted? Ponder that for a moment as we break down the characteristics outlined for a servant leader. 

1. Compassion

Having compassion for your fellow man is important when you are a servant leader. You must care about your team, the ones you are leading. You must show them love, concern, and empathy. You must show them they are important and they mean the world to you. In John 13:12-17 it tells us that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. He served them. He showed them that he was not only a teacher, leader, and guide, but he was also a servant. He could serve them just as they had served him. He gave us the greatest example of compassion and love. He showed them that he cared. He talked to them and spent time with them. Let me ask you a question right now: how many of you, as leaders, take the time to even have a conversation with the ones that you lead? Do you know anything about your team?  Many of us don’t even check in on our team or try to build a relationship with them. Jesus had a relationship with the disciples. He cared about them. To be a servant leader, you must show compassion, just as Jesus did with his disciples. 

2. A Follower

When we are in a leadership role, we tend to want to always be the leader figuratively. We want to stay out front. We think we are the only ones with great ideas and thoughts. We feel no one can be in that role but us. We wear the title on our sleeve literally. Being a great leader is also being a great follower. In John 5:19, it shows us that Jesus is a follower. He tells us that he does only what his Father tells him to do or is doing. Jesus was willing to follow. Not only was he willing to be a follower, but he also allowed the disciples to grow and use what he had placed inside of them. To be a servant leader, you must have that mindset. Have the willingness to follow. Breakthroughs happen when you take a step back and allow someone else to take the lead. Your team has great ideas. Allow them to flourish and grow under your great leadership by utilizing the great tools you have instilled in them. Allow yourself to be a follower. Many of your greatest triumphs occur when you are a follower and not a leader. 

3. Willingness to Listen

This is a good one. As leaders, we like to hear ourselves talk. And there is a time to talk and a time to listen. When being a servant leader, you must have the willingness to listen. You can miss great moments, outcomes, or ideas by not listening to what others have to say. When you do not allow your team to be a part of the discussion, then you are stifling their growth. You are telling them that what they think and feel is not important to the discussion at hand. You are telling them that only what you have to say is important. Jesus sat and talked with the disciples many times, but he also listened to them. They asked questions and he gave them the guidance needed. They even had doubts and He took the time to clarify for them. He was always teaching and guiding them. He wanted to ensure they were prepared for the day when he would no longer be here in human form on this earth. He listened. The team needs to hear from you, but it is also important for you to hear from your team. 

4. Be a Coach

I believe from all that we have read in the Bible about Jesus and the disciples, I can surely say he was a coach. He led them. He guided them. He corrected them. He watched them. He fed them. He taught them. But he did it with love and compassion. Being a servant leader is being a coach. A coach is one who guides you through the plays and makes sure you make it to the finish line. He gives you instructions and checks to make sure you understand the instructions and that you are able to execute them. I love to tell people when I am preaching the importance of following your SOP (standard operating procedures). As Christians, we have an SOP, the Bible, with clear guidelines and instructions. It is up to us to follow this SOP. God gave us an SOP with clear guidelines and instructions to help us to be great servant leaders. It is up to us as coaches to read our own playbook and meditate on it daily. As servant leaders we are responsible for ensuring our team knows their standard operating instructions. That they know all the plays and what steps to take to move forward. It is important for us to be a coach. 

As you are doing all these things, you are still learning, and so is your team. Not only do you want to embody these characteristics, but you also want to ensure your team does as well. You want them to show compassion. You want them to be willing to be a follower. You want them to be good listeners. Everyone needs to be a coach. You want them to share their knowledge and skills. You want them to help others. Being a servant leader is an important role for everyone on your team.  If being a servant leader is new to you, then I encourage you to take that step to begin demonstrating the characteristics of a great servant leader. Doing so by analyzing your leadership skills. There are various ways to do this. One way would be to take a moment and list your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Figure out how you can begin to correlate the characteristics of a servant leader to what you already do and strengthen those weaknesses. Another way would be to poll your team. Ask them to write down what they feel your strengths and weaknesses are. Now, this is where the follower comes into play, as well as the listener. You must be willing to hear what others have to say about you. And you must be willing to make the adjustments necessary to make you a servant leader. 

If being a servant leader is already in your lane then zero in on those skills and figure out how you can make them even greater. You can also utilize the same step previously mentioned and poll your team and ask them to write down what they feel your strengths and weaknesses are. As well as do that same step yourself. You may surprise yourself with your own results. Utilize the information gathered to enhance what you already do. Remember, one is always learning and growing. You never stop. You are ALWAYS growing and learning when you are a servant leader. The bottom line is this. Be the best you can be. Always striving for greatness. Striving to be more like Jesus. You have to want to be more like the Heavenly Father. That is the most important step and then the next one is taking that first step. Be the individual God created you to be. Step out and be that servant leader.