If Serving is Beneath You, Leadership is Beyond You

by ericvhampton

“If serving is beneath you, leadership is beyond you.” -@ldrcollective

In many of our organizations, we struggle with the concept of servant-leadership. Though it may sound like an oxymoron, it is actually a pillar for many of our teams and organizations.

The reality is: we cannot afford to hire everyone who is talented, gifted, and equipped with a formal education. We cannot afford to assign stipends to everyone for their tangible and non-tangible contributions that assist us in achieving organizational goals.

Most businesses desire a lean staff, and nonprofits in particular strive to maintain payroll to 35%-40% of organizational funding, while maximizing programs.

So why do we struggle with servant-leadership?

Generally speaking, our society believes that leadership means standing on a platform, sitting on a board of directors, making critical decisions, or having a business card with your name on it.

Leadership is actually any contribution that supports the passion, mission, and vision of an organization. In this regard, a school custodian is just as important as the school principal. Leadership is about contribution, not position. So the question is: do you contribute?

Let’s stop chasing power and begin chasing responsibility, because if serving is beneath you, leadership is beyond you.

“The greatest among you will be your servant.”- Matthew 23:11 NIV