Serving = Serving

What does it mean to be a servant? 

What does it mean to be a leader?

How and why do these two contradicting terms fit together?

In our August 2023 Servant Leadership Community of Practice, Christa Williams discussed the heart of servant leadership to more fully understand how S=S (Serving equals Serving).

Using 3 main questions, we will define serving and the term “servant-leader” and explain why servant leadership is relevant for today’s world.

Try this personal reflection activity:

Take a moment to think of servant-leaders in your life…then ask yourself the following questions:

• How can you tell they are servant-leaders?
• How soon after meeting them did you know that they were servant-leaders?

Give yourself 1 minute to journal or quietly reflect on the servant-leaders in your life.

Question 1: What is a servant-leader?

Robert Greenleaf describes servant-leaders as people who are servants in the humblest sense of the word; they seek to better the lives of others rather than to enrich their own ego or status. 

The way he saw it, a servant-leader only sought to become a leader secondarily in order to more effectively better the world. 

“It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then, when the opportunity arises to serve by leading, the individual makes the conscious choice to lead.”

-Robert K Greenleaf

Understanding the concept of serving is at the heart of understanding servant leadership. Yet this foundational word is often misunderstood.

Servant leadership is sometimes used by authors and consultants as a stepping stone for their own (self-serving) purposes. OR it’s seen as “old” or not relevant in the world today.

Greenleaf was intentional in connecting the words servant and leader…in that order.

He highlighted these facts:

• The words servant and leader are contradictions.
• Combines the best qualities of the servant and the best qualities of the leader.
• By including BOTH words, we broaden our understanding of servant leadership.

Question 2: Why does servant leadership matter in the world today? 

As servant-leaders, we must be present to make an impact in the world! 

This isn’t always easy and it takes practice. Pressures all around us, alongside our own personal and professional needs, swirl around us daily. Having the support and tools (the “how”) to show up present and in impactful ways is critical.

In the book, The Contemporary Servant as Leader, Isabel Lopez talks about a specific formula for servant leadership. And makes it personal.

“If I were to set up an equation for serving it would be serving equals serving. Simple. If serving equals recognition, even though those things might come, serving can be tainted.” 

– Isabel Lopez

She says that as leaders we are called to answer the questions of “Who am I?” and “So what?” to show up more authentically and whole – and then take genuine action to serve others from that place.

It is important for us to define serving with this untainted intention and a service above self mindset.

Question 3: How do you define serving?

Here are some definitions of serving that our attendees shared. What would you add?

• Listening to learn instead of listening to reply. 
• Helping but not doing it for them. 
• Asking more questions. 
• Growing other leaders so that we can accomplish the goals we have set. 
• Providing others with the necessary tools to grow.
• Having the maturity to say “No” or “Not at this time.”

There are countless ways to bring servant-leadership to life! In our mind, the behaviors and definitions above can ultimately boil down to one all-encompassing definition:

Serving = Helping people understand their “Why” and become servant-leaders themselves.

Now that we’ve defined serving, how do you know if you ARE serving?

Let’s use Robert Greenleaf’s Best Test as guide:

“…do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?  

– Robert K Greenleaf

Try this personal reflection activity:

1. Think about the people in your sphere of influence. 
2. Reflect on Robert Greenleaf’s Best Test.
3. Ask the question: Are you serving in a way that helps people to grow?

Give yourself 1 minute to journal or quietly reflect on these 3 questions. Then follow the action plan below for more guided leadership practice!

Growth action plan for aspiring servant-leaders:

Use these 3 questions for personal reflection and leadership growth. Take time to write down your thoughts from what you’ve learned about serving!

How do you know?

Use an empathy map.

• What are people saying or doing?
• How are people feeling or thinking?  

Have a conversation with those you serve to understand how they see you serving them.

Now what?

What are you going to do with what you’ve learned?

• Develop 1 action item to work on this week to build the habit of serving.
• Find an accountability partner!

So what?

Why does servant leadership matter?  

• Does your Serving = Serving?
• Is your intention (desire) in the right order?

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What have you learned from this blog? Contact us and let us know!

Don’t miss your opportunity to join our next conversation! Community Practice sessions are amazing opportunities for any and all leaders to gather and learn from one another in a supportive, comfortable environment, right from your computer. September’s Community of Practice topic is “Your Inward Journey.”

Additional Resources:

1. Book: The Contemporary Servant as Leader – Kent M Keith editor from the original essay by Robert K Greenleaf
2. Article: 16 Questions to Answer Before Calling Yourself a Servant Leader

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This blog post wraps up August 2023’s Community of Practice event. To join us during the live discussion for future months, register at https://www.sophiapartners.org/events/. Community of Practice occurs the fourth Tuesday of each month from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT.