What Is Servant-Minded Leadership?

Servant-leadership became a corporate buzzword in the 1970s when Robert Greenlee wrote an essay titled “The Leader as a Servant”. Since then, others have made the concept increasingly popular.

But, 2,000 years prior to Greenlee's essay, the idea of servant-leadership was perfectly modeled by Jesus, who provided examples like washing feet (a job for the lowest members of society), and touching lepers (conferring dignity society had taken from them). He also made statements like, “Those who will be great among you must be a servant” (Matthew 23:11).

For those who are followers of Jesus, this may seem like a common-sense topic, but I don't feel convinced it is as commonly understood as it should be. Worse, I think it is practiced even less.

I work with leaders for a living. As the founder of SML Consultive, the originator of “Servant-Minded Leadership”, and an internationally recognized corporate trainer, I have found that Servant-Minded Leadership is significantly less prevalent in our everyday lives than we might think.

This may be due to a lack of education (What does it even mean to be a Servant-Minded Leader as a follower of Jesus?). But most often, I think it is less a matter of knowledge and more a lack of introspection. I've known believers who can cite Bible verses, reference leadership rhetoric, and set expectations for others to lead as servants, but who simultaneously dismiss people coldly, speak to them harshly, and engage with them not as one who serves, but rather as one who is important.

With this in mind, I would like to answer two questions:

1. What does it mean to be a Servant-Minded Leader?

2. How should this be implemented in the life of a Christian?

What does it mean to be a Servant-Minded Leader?

Servant = One who serves

Minded = One who is mindful

Leader = One who inspires others

I often share a short speech called “Servant-Minded Leaders Aren't ‘Nice.’” In the speech, I share that when we speak of service, we are not speaking of being a doormat, giving everyone everything they want, or even trying to make people happy. Being a servant (in the context that I believe it is strongest) is loving others enough to serve their best interest. This means that we do what is best for them—not necessarily what they want.

As leaders, whether we like it or not, we are having an impact. The only question is whether the impact is positive or negative.

As Christians, a good litmus for us is to ask the following question after every interaction: “Did my engagement with that individual give them more or less reasons to ask me about Jesus?”

If that question scares you, there may be room to grow as a Christian leader.

It is said that leaders do not create more followers; they create more leaders. While I agree with the objective of that statement, it is also true that if no one is following, we are not leading. Leadership does not require a title or position. It requires that our lives be modeled in such a way that people look at us and desire what we have. This may be most evident during challenging times, like when Peter encourages us to “always be ready to give an answer regarding the hope that we have” (1 Peter 3:15).

How should Servant-Minded Leadership be implemented in the life of a Christian?

I like something a former pastor of mine says: “No matter what you think of them, people are image-bearers of God.” If you are a Christian, the worldview you claim to hold acknowledges the value of each human being. That value is not diminished in any way just because you hold a position of leadership. In fact, if Jesus, who was the very image of God, can humble Himself and become a man (Philippians 2), we have literally no excuse.

Much more can be said on this topic, but I will conclude with this: For those of us who have a relationship with God, we have both the responsibility and opportunity to represent His love for humankind through our leadership. How sad if our behavior resulted in someone being pushed away from a relationship with their Creator because we were the only representative of God they experienced.