Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.
Jesus, Mark 10:43 (The Message).
Rick Warren challenges popular assumptions regarding leadership and service, writing that just as the disciples struggled with each other for the prominent position, so Christian leaders still ‘jockey for position and prominence in churches, denominations and parachurch ministries.’
Rick, in Day 33 of The Purpose Driven Life, says that real servants make themselves available to serve, pay attention to needs, do their best with what they have, do every task with equal dedication, are faithful to their ministry and maintain a low profile.
He’s describing the classic behaviour profile of steadiness from the DiSC Model.
From a course I’ve been editing recently I’ve inserted here the characteristics associated with the person who’s behaviour is motivated by steadiness.
The steady person is content, accepting of others, helpful and co-operative, compassionate and caring, good in one-to-one or small group relationships, a good listener, obedient, reliable, modest, a good team worker and one who prefers routine.
This person needs a secure, stable, safe environment, sincere appreciation, and support with coping with change.
Steadiness people fear isolation, being in the limelight, loss of security, and unplanned changes.
Having said all that, it’s clear that people who enjoy up front work have to work on the behind-the-scenes faithfulness Rick’s talking about. It’s been said that charm can you get you into a job, but only character will keep you in it.
I’ve been watching the British comedy series, “The Office” this last week – it was a present for Christmas. Watching David Brent, the embarrassingly self-focused office boss, reminded me of the need for a servant attitude at the heart of leadership. The difficulty is that learning a servant attitude usually requires a level of humility. Humility for some is learnt through humbling times.
Rick says that self-promotion and servanthood don’t mix. Real servants don’t serve for the approval or applause of others. They live for an audience of One. He says that we won’t find many real servants in the limelight. Rick says that many leaders start off as servants but end up as celebrities, addicted to attention.
Now that’s a challenge to a blogger as much as a public speaker! Do I write as a service or do I write for the attention I might get? Or both at different times? I usually find my motives are mixed.
So that’s the challenge I face in working through today’s material. Being in a high profile position through my work could blind me to attitudes that need correction. I need the quiet encouragement of family and friends who treat me as the ordinary person I am.
I also have the challenge of being a servant in my own neighbourhood even when it might seem more glamorous to fly off somewhere else as the much appreciated consultant. Being on leave for a month has helped me rediscover the disciplines of care – feeding the chooks each day, routine housework and digging out the stump next door.
I also have the challenge of following through on my commitments. Or perhaps the call to be more careful about which commitments I take on this year.