Listening Leaders: Servant Leadership pt. 1

As I'm writing this, I have a pending dissertation project proposal awaiting review. I won't talk about the specific project yet, as it is still subject to some degree of change and I probably won't launch it for over a year yet, but many of you know that I'm part of the Andrews University Doctor of Ministry Leadership Cohort. For the past two years, I've been studying biblical and corporate leadership principles, how to write a dissertation, and how to implement a doctoral research project that incorporates human subjects. All of this is toward the aim of starting a ministry project that will be a blessing to the conference.

While the details are to be determined regarding the project, the theme of the project is sure to be Servant Leadership. To that end, I'm starting a blog series that aims to point out the qualities of Servant Leadership, which are as follows...

1. Listening

2. Empathy

3. Healing

4. Awareness

5. Persuasion

6. Conceptualization

7. Foresight

8. Stewardship

9. Commitment to Growth

10. Building Community

One of the reasons I'm fascinated with the ideas of Servant Leadership is because we spend so much time telling adults and young people alike to "lead like Jesus." However, we often fail to equip them with practical tools for actually doing this leading. Therefore: the stated expectations are high (you should lead like the Creator and Redeemer of the universe), but help on the journey toward those expectations is nearly nonexistent. Servant Leadership, while it is certainly not a flawless model, seeks to give practical ways a leader can emulate Jesus and focus on serving first and leadership as a byproduct of this serving.

[NOTE: this article will use generic terms like "leader," "follower," and "organization." As you read, feel free to substitute terminology to fit any leadership situation you are familiar with.]

Today, our series starts with the quality of listening. Servant leaders are listening leaders. Many people lead to be heard, and it is true that leaders do need to be heard at crucial times. Telling followers about a schedule, policy, or list of core values can be important for a leader to do. However, if all a leader does is talk, it can be disastrous.

The difference between management and leadership is as follows. Managers focus on specific, predetermined objectives and keep the status quo. They are not expected to take risks, and they are expected to stick to the formula. They may listen to followers, but not a whole lot can realistically happen with the critique or advice for improvement they receive. A manager has their plan and they will stick to it.

A leader, on the other hand, encourages followers toward innovation. They don't simply listen as a management tool--letting a follower talk as an HR technique, and then forgetting what was said. If a follower brings an inspired idea to the leader, the leader listens and if the idea is truly worth pursuing then they make plans to incorporate the idea into the pre-existing structure. Even if the idea isn't sure to work, the leader may be willing to take calculated risks toward the goal of trying new ideas in hopes of improving the organization. Worst case scenario: you listened to and trusted the ideas of a team member. Best case scenario: the organization reaps the benefits of innovating in a crucial area and your team member gets to share in leading into the future.

A servant leader listens to their followers. However, a servant leader also creates a community of listening. Because, ultimately, followers need to listen to their leader as well. Followers also need to listen to each other too. Just as it's important for a leader not to be the only one heard, it's also to foster an atmosphere where good communication and intentional listening is happening on all levels. Of course, that all can start with the leader. If the leader can model good communication and good listening skills, this can go a long way in creating a team that likewise communicates and listens well.

Servant leadership is founded on Christian principles, Jesus being the ultimate example of a servant leader. By His example, we also see that it is important to listen to God. Jesus often sought out alone time with His Father, in a quiet place (Luke 5:16). We find that Jesus was tuned into the Holy Spirit, and often was willing to be led by the movings of the Spirit (Mark 1:12). Jesus also received His direction and ministry as well as affirmation from the Father, for example at the transfiguration (Luke 9:35). Jesus even sought God's guidance in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even though He didn't get what He asked for in that case, we still find a humble servant leader who was willing to be obedient to the Father's will unto death (Matthew 26:39).

If you're looking for a great place to start on your journey toward becoming a servant leader like Jesus, look no further than the art of listening. If a leader is willing to intentionally listen to followers, create a culture of good communication and listening, and (first and foremost) spend time with and listen to God: that leader is well on their way to becoming a successful servant leader.

One more item, before I close: Servant Leadership strives not to have ulterior motives toward organizational success. While the success of the organization is the hope of all leadership models, Servant Leadership differs from other models in that it is not the explicit priority. Transformational Leadership, for example, aims to build up followers so that they will be more productive and benefit the company. Servant Leadership, on the other hand, aims to build up followers for the sake of the health and benefit of the individual. The hope is that, by building up followers as the main priority, the return on investment will in fact benefit the company, but company growth is not the primary goal. The idea is that, by prioritizing serving people, a far superior and healthy organization is the logical result.

Listening, therefore, is not a means to an end. It is the point. People--be they leaders or followers--are children of God and deserve to be listened to because they are beloved individuals. If, by listening, information comes out that ends up benefitting the organization, then we can celebrate that. But even if not, listening in and of itself is important as we pursue the model of Servant Leadership. We listen because we love. And we love because Christ first loved us.