I had a rare opportunity to listen to my dad speak on a podcast this week on the topics of leadership, organizational culture, and the ways unity differs from uniformity.
I’ve never known him in a workplace setting, but I have had a lifetime of watching him and Mama embody servant leadership at home and in our community. When I think about it, I don’t believe there’s any other kind of leadership besides servant leadership, and I think leadership isn’t reserved for organizations; rather, daily actions in our private lives can inspire others to be the best versions of themselves.
In the weeks after Hurricane Helene, for example, I watched my mama cooking big pots of soup, batches of cornbread, and dozens of cookies to deliver to neighbors and anyone else she thought needed some home-cooked encouragement. As soon as the storm passed, my dad was outside with a chainsaw cutting and moving trees that had fallen on the fences of neighbors, he and my mom working side by side clearing away what the storm destroyed. I believe the first thought they each have every morning is, “How can I be useful today?” Their lives have been a master class in walking in love.
The title of leader can extend beyond heads of organizations or countries; undercover shepherds are all around us, and they know a few things that our traditionally-recognized leaders would do well to learn. They know that the most transformational role models:
- Identify service as the foundation for leadership,
- Seek counsel from reliable sources when their own perspective and knowledge are limited,
- Pursue wisdom. About the world, about people, about themselves,
- Set ego and pride aside and replace them with curiosity and humility,
- Understand that there is no place for contempt, scorn, or mocking,
- Nurture leadership potential in others,
- Maintain high expectations for those around them and especially for themselves,
- Safeguard their integrity,
- Fearlessly question norms, habits, and people when needed,
- Encourage questions that lead to open, respectful dialogue,
- Defend those in their care from poisonous, destructive influences,
- Use their position to benefit others, not for self-promotion,
- Know that building trust with and understanding of those who look different and whose experiences have been different from their own are essential to unity.
Looking beyond a season of both literal and political storms, there is no better time to dig deep and find improved ways to reach across the aisle, the table, and the community to build back stronger.
PartWolf 