Matthew 20:26-28 says, "But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave." These are the verses that are often quoted on the topic of servant leadership. One way or the other, I think we all long to meet the servant leader, one who truly cares for our personal growth. But in some ways, there may also be part of us doubting if servant leadership is a myth. Can this type of leaders be found in corporate America? Can this type of leaders deliver superior performance results?
I first heard of Cheryl Bachelder's book, Dare to Serve, in Andy Stanley's leadership podcast. In that talk, Cherly's idea of how to "unfund" projects caught by attention and I was impressed with how she turned around Popeyes. With a sense of curiosity, I saved the book in my amazon wish list until few days ago when I started writing the series of blog on "Finding God in Corporate America" and I want to explore the theme of servant leadership more.
As I start reading Dare to Serve, I got captivated right away by the opening.
AT THE BEGINNING OF A BROADWAY SHOW, the lights dim, the music plays and the audience waits for the spotlight to hit the stage. When the main actor appears, the story begins. So it is with leadership. When you become a leader, people wait for you to step into the spotlight on center stage. All eyes are fixed on you--waiting to see who you are, what you will say, and what you will do. After all, you are the leader.
What if spotlight appeared on stage, and you were not in it? What would happen then? The people would be confused, They would wonder where you were. They would think that you didn't understand your role. Until they realize what you were doing. You are a different kind of leader. Not seeking the spotlight. In fact, you have walked off the stage to find the light crew. You will shift the focus of the spotlight--to the people you have been asked to lead. You will lead the people to daring destinations--far beyond their imagination. You will focus intensely on serving them well on the journey. You will help them discover meaning in their work and principles in their actions. You will dare to serve.
This is the exact type of top performing leader described by Jim Collins as the Level V leader. Servant leader is ambitious, but ambitious first and foremost about the vision of the company, not themselves. I look forward to reading the book and how Cherly uses this concept to turn around Popeyes.
When God puts us in any leading role, may we seize the opportunity and dare to be a different kind of leader: one who is "courageous enough to take the people to a daring destination, yet humble enough to selflessly serve others on the journey." One day, when you realize that you are the most powerful person in the room, what would you do? Would you give your power away so others can shine?