This is a topic that Allison just studied in one of her leadership spirituality courses, and her passion with servant leadership prompted her to share her thoughts in this publication.
In today's complex and fast-paced world, leadership is often reduced to the ability to command, manage, and drive results, completely ignoring any human element of authenticity.
However, leadership that focuses purely on outcomes, disregarding the inherent dignity and worth of others, falls short of creating a sustainable and humane organizational culture.
Servant leadership, a model that emphasizes the importance of serving others while honoring their inherent worth, challenges this conventional approach.
To lead with authenticity and compassion, it is essential to understand what it truly means to serve others and to recognize the fundamental dignity of every person.
Additionally, a commitment must be made to not view people as means to an end but as valuable individuals deserving of care and respect.
Next, having a nurturing environment to allow people to reach their full potential is essential.
Today, we are going to explore the requirements for cultivating a genuine desire to serve and a deep recognition of others' inherent worth. Then, we'll examine the obstacles that may hinder the ability to act from this place of genuine service and dignity, and suggest strategies for overcoming these barriers.
Ultimately, the article argues that in order to develop this genuine desire to serve and recognize the inherent worth of others, one must create a culture of service and community, foster empathy, and practice humility and integrity in his or her organization.
Create a Culture of Service & Community
The first thing that a leader must do is create a culture of service and community in their
organization.
Whether this is through team-building activities in the workplace or providing leisurely hangouts and meals outside of the office setting as time for people to get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses in a relaxed atmosphere, it is a necessary step in the process of cultivating a genuine willingness to serve and see others for who they truly are.
At a recent small group leader meeting at my pastor’s house, I learned about a useful
strategy when leading groups of people and I think it’s a great tactic to be implemented in any situation where people are interacting.
He called it “structured to be unstructured,” meaning that activities should feel natural rather than a forced icebreaker where the people being led know that it’s a game.
Instead, leaders should apply this approach and strategically introduce it so the
people don’t notice it’s actually a game, but just think the work they are doing is fun for some reason. It’s important to not let on that it’s an activity to keep the authenticity alive.
What’s most important, though, is that it’s not all fun. There will still be actual structure within the organization. But the team should work hard and play just as hard. There should be no play without good, genuine work.
Another good idea for creating a culture of service and community is to enable positive
reinforcement through an incentive program. If someone is genuinely serving, then they should get rewarded. However, rewards should not be given out too often because of the potential risk of not serving for the right reasons.
But the most important step in creating this culture of service and community is to
emphasize the need for forming deep relationships. So many people only have surface-level relationships.
At work, at school, at church even. No one goes beyond some superficial chit chat.
Let’s reverse the status quo and break this cycle of shallow relationships. By forming deep connections with the people on your team, the more you learn about a person and grow close to them, and then the easier it becomes to want to spend even more time with them and serve them, and develop a genuine sense of care and concern for them, after hearing their story and what they’re all about.
It goes from just knowing someone’s name and what their favorite restaurant is
to now knowing their struggles, hopes, and dreams, and the burden of a family member just getting diagnosed with a life-threatening illness maybe taking a toll on them through the devastating news and the expensive hospital bills.
Authentic leaders see their role as one of responsibility for bringing out the best in others and doing what is best for the organization within the context of serving their community. Leaders who exhibit transformational leadership often have a "strong set of internal values and ideals, and they are effective at motivating followers to act in ways that support the greater good rather than their own self-interest” (Mullinge, 2018, p. 338).
There exists this new awareness that can translate to the workplace of now really knowing a person better instead of just pretending to know them or knowing your
perception of them.
This can be effective in knowing where to place a person, and what role they can serve in since you can now see where they would best be lined up based on their strengths, weaknesses, and special gifts.
Creating this sense of community provides a shoulder to cry on, people willing to listen and relate to each other, and more harmony and togetherness to reach a common goal.
Foster Empathy
The next thing to do in cultivating a genuine desire to serve and recognize peoples’
inherent worth is to foster an environment of empathy – not just in leaders but within all
involved.
So many people in organizations feel unheard. Listening to others and taking yourself
(all your needs and desires) out of the equation just to hear the other person’s side is so effective.
“Listening" in the sense of servant leadership, however, involves much more than the mere feeling of being listened to[, but] having enough empathy to be able to put oneself in the other person’s shoes and understand their concerns and problems” (Langhof, Güldenberg; 2024, pp.5, 392-393).
When you create an encouraging and understanding atmosphere, people can feel
heard, understood, related to, and have the comfort to open up.
Sometimes it takes the “illuminator” to see the best in someone when no one else can,
and believe in someone when no one else will. It’s crucial to develop virtues such as empathy to create lasting bonds and connections. Then this will translate into genuine willingness and care to serve others once you can connect with and relate to them.
Empathy most often arises when supervisors have gone through or experienced a similar situation that subordinates are going through. Thus, whether empathy can emerge in machines is also largely dependent on whether machines will be able to put themselves in humans’ shoes by living through human-type situations with their own mechanic feelings (Langhof, Güldenberg; 2024, pp. 392-393).
Once you have been in the same position as they have and truly understand what they are experiencing, it becomes easier to have empathy and genuinely want to serve them.
Practice Humility and Integrity
The last most effective method in my opinion is to exercise humility and have integrity.
This seems like a rare occurrence in any organization these days, especially on the leader’s part.
Most people want leadership positions to exert their power and influence rather than actually helping to lead others to success. They want the title but not the responsibility that naturally comes with it.
It is critical for leaders to set aside and sacrifice their own motives and agenda and put the focus on leading their team.
So often, people in high-up roles “use and abuse” the people beneath them just for their own personal gain. They treat their workers as objects who can fulfill a function rather than nurturing the human beings that they were created to be.
When asking leaders what made them want to be, the majority who become
leaders for the wrong reasons probably won’t admit to it.
If a servant-leader wants to serve first, empower others, help them grow and help others to become servant-leaders themselves the servant-leader must possess, practice and display humility and vulnerability. These qualities are paramount to creating an environment where followers can feel safe to bring their whole selves to work. When followers feel they can be vulnerable, they will offer ideas and solutions more
freely. They will be able to bring what is uniquely "them" to the team. They will be more open to collaboration and feedback without feeling attacked, belittled, or marginalized (Fuller, 2022, p. 449).
Each person brings something unique and necessary since we were all made different by
our Creator, and given different gifts to use for a common goal.
Like how the Bible emphasizes we are to be the hands and feet of Christ, the same is true of an organization.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31 talks about spiritual gifts and there being a body with many
members, and how each part of the body alone would be useless if it weren’t for all of them working together.
The same is true of an organization.
We are supposed to serve the community and the constituents within by using the gifts God gave us.
In this, humility is so important because if we lose sight of the common goal and boast about our gifts, fill ourselves with pride and forget why we do what we do, failure will ensue.
Additionally, if the leader is a dictator and only does what he or she wants to do, the team will not feel valued and will most likely feel discouraged and unmotivated in their work, just serving out of obligation or to make ends meet.
Humility is also key to collaboration. If the servant-leader is successful in demonstrating
that they want the best ideas, not their ideas, to win then the organization benefits [because] a team can function at full capacity when ideas are actively sought by leaders, and followers freely give ideas because they feel safe to do so (Fuller, 2022, p. 449).
One should never underestimate the power of allowing a team’s ideas to flourish. Not every idea has to be made into a reality, but the act of listening and making them feel valued and at least considering what they say is the sign of a healthy organization.
Those in charge should make it a habit to nurture an environment of free thought and creativity, and strive to be a reliable and trustworthy leader who puts their team first.
I also want to point out Matthew 20:26-28. I love this passage. Jesus redefines greatness and leadership through service and humility, coming to this world not to be served, but to serve humbly.
Obstacles
Of course this is no perfect world. Things can look great on paper, but if factors and challenges are failed to be taken into consideration, things will not work out in the concrete world.
Here are some barriers that can stand in the way of effective servant leadership...
Obstacle No. 1: Viewing People as a Means to an End
The goal is to cultivate a genuine willingness to serve and see people as human beings.
This is compromised when members of a team are viewed by their leader as resources and are then used as tools.
This dehumanizing perspective leads to a transactional view of relationships, where individuals are valued solely for their utility rather than their intrinsic worth.
In such a context, servant leadership is undermined, as the leader may focus more on achieving results than on fostering the well-being of their team.
Obstacle No. 2: Resorting to Traditional Leadership Methods and Models
Another challenge is the pressure to conform to traditional notions of leadership, which
often prioritize control, authority, and efficiency over compassion and care.
In organizations where results are emphasized above all else, leaders may feel compelled to adopt a more authoritarian approach to ensure productivity, neglecting the human needs of those they lead.
This creates an environment where employees feel like mere cogs in a machine, which can diminish their sense of self-worth and reduce their motivation to contribute meaningfully.
I used this analogy of a cog in a machine since it means a person who is a small, seemingly insignificant part of a larger system or organization, despite their role being necessary for the entire system to function.
Essentially, a cog is someone who feels like they have a minor, repetitive job with little individual impact.
Again, it is imperative for 1 Corinthians 12 to be upheld and for leaders celebrate peoples’ individual gifts of being members of the body.
Obstacle No. 3: Leader’s Clouded Judgment Affects Ability to Lead Effectively
Furthermore, personal insecurities or a lack of self-awareness can also impede a leader’s
ability to serve effectively.
Leaders who struggle with self-doubt or fear of vulnerability may find it difficult to acknowledge the humanity of others, particularly when those others challenge their
authority or question their decisions.
In such cases, the leader may resort to controlling behaviors or defensive strategies rather than embracing the authentic, empathetic approach that servant leadership requires.
False overconfidence can also result as a way to mask the lurking
insecurities instead of going to the root of the matter and solving the problem.
Obstacle No. 4: Humans’ Sinful Nature Getting in the Way
Lastly, the most common obstacle is simply humans being humans.
Their sinful nature takes over and they chase after positions of leadership for the wrong reasons: to be in the spotlight, to exert power and control, for attention, or maybe to pack their resumé and overcommit to a myriad of roles but then under perform, and countless other selfish reasons.
Ulterior motives exist when our flesh gets in the way.
How to Overcome the Obstacles
Solution to Obstacle No. 1: View People As Human Beings
To overcome this obstacle, leaders must intentionally prioritize relationships and the
well-being of their team members over results.
Leaders should focus on empathetic listening, personal development, and creating an inclusive, supportive environment for all.
Emphasizing shared values and a common purpose helps to view individuals as partners rather than tools, fostering trust and collaboration.
Provide a safe and encouraging environment that enables team members to use their gifts to achieve a common goal. Celebrate these unique gifts, and make yourself aware of the fact that each person brings something different to the table, and collectively, things get accomplished.
Seek after the best of the best, and don’t settle for less. Merit-based hiring is unfortunately not prevalent, so actually hire competent workers instead of
taking pity on those who are unemployed, or even promoting people based on longevity within a company rather than what they can actually contribute.
Solution to Obstacle No. 2: Resist the Status Quo and Train Effective Leaders
Leaders should shift away from traditional top-down methods by adopting a more
collaborative and empowering leadership style that encourages open communication rather than one dictator calling all the shots.
Providing opportunities for team members to voice their ideas and contributing to decision-making helps build trust and respect. Balancing results with compassion and prioritizing the development of employees nurtures motivation and loyalty.
Democracy should be embraced, not discouraged or completely eliminated, leaving members of a team feeling alienated and unheard.
Solution to Obstacle No. 3: Have Leaders Spend Time in Self-Reflection and Clear Their Heads
To improve judgment, leaders should engage in regular self-reflection, seek feedback
from trusted colleagues, and cultivate emotional intelligence to better understand their own insecurities.
Acknowledging vulnerability and embracing a growth mindset allows leaders to
overcome defensiveness and become more adaptable. Creating an environment where leaders are transparent about their limitations encourages team collaboration and mutual support.
It’s important for leaders to focus on themselves – not in a selfish way, but to make sure they are poured into first so they can then pour into others.
If leaders are empty or full of negativity and unhealthy beliefs and lies, they will not be able to lead effectively because they will feel bogged down by their burdens and misconceptions about themselves.
Solution to Obstacle No. 4: Encourage Leaders to Reflect on Why They Are in Their Position
Leaders can confront their sinful nature by consistently re-examining their motivations
and seeking accountability from others in their faith or professional community.
Cultivating humility and remembering the true purpose of leadership – service to others – can help mitigate self-serving desires.
Aligning personal goals with ethical, spiritual values reinforces the commitment to lead with integrity and selflessness.
It’s important to be convicted, but not condemned.
Not to feel ashamed, but to turn things around for the future and lead better going forward.
Obviously, this world is ridden with sin, but in a perfect world, we must die to our
fleshly desires of seeking attention and power, and sacrifice our own wants for the betterment of the group being led.
Embrace the Golden Rule by putting yourself in the shoes of your team and ask yourself what they would want, truly focusing on their needs and desires, and what they would like to contribute.
Final Thoughts
To cultivate a genuine desire to serve and honor the inherent worth of others, intentional
efforts must be enacted to foster a culture of service, empathy, and humility within an
organization.
By prioritizing these values, leaders can birth an environment where individuals are
seen not as mere resources, but as intrinsically valuable human beings deserving of care and respect.
Overcoming obstacles such as self-interest, ulterior motives, and organizational pressures involves continuous self-reflection, support from mentors or a community of
like-minded individuals, and a commitment to moral courage.
By putting human dignity at the center of leadership practice, leaders can inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of respect and care and viewing people as the human beings full of unique gifts that God made them to be.
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