Servant Leaders Think Team

I'll always remember him—Robert Turnberger, my high school baseball coach. Rumor had it he paid a reporter to spell his name correctly. In 1962, our team won the South Jersey Region 2 title under Coach T's leadership. School Board wouldn’t let us go to State. We were THE Pleasantville High School Greyhounds and we were good. No brag, just fact!

The ‘Hounds weren't a mass collection of superstar athletes. The only “star” on the team was the team. Coach took what he had and built us into a winning unit. Everything we did we did as a team. We played as a team on the field and teamed together off the field.

We sat next to each other in classes, studied and ate lunch together.

We never left the locker room for practice unless we went together.

We even had team songs, which we knew better than the school Alma Mater.

We were a team and we were successful.

When servant leadership invades your life, you discover leadership is a team effort, not a one-man show. No individual is as strong or as smart as all of us together. SERVANT LEADERS COMMIT THEMSELVES TO BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH A SHARED VISION, PURPOSE, AND METHODS.

Vision may be initiated by an individual (a pastor, coach, president, supervisor, manager) but vision is best fulfilled by a team which shares the vision. A leader's vision is only as good as the team that fulfills it. Coach T embraced a vision for us to be the best team in South Jersey in 1962.  The Greyhounds caught his vision and got it done.

God believes in teamwork.

The Trinity is a team: Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Exodus 18: Moses' division of labor

Gideon's 300

David's Mighty Men

The 12 Apostles

The Missionary Teams of Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Silas, Barnabas and John Mark.

Paul's leadership teams of elders and deacons after he planted churches.

How wise are Solomon's words: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.” Ecclesiastes 4: 9, 10.

SERVANT LEADERS DO ONLY WHAT THEY CAN DO AND THEY SERVE OTHERS TO HELP THEM DO WHAT ONLY THEY CAN DO.

Peter Drucker wrote:

“Effective leaders never say 'I.' They don't think 'I'. They think 'we'; they think 'team.' They understand their job is to make the team function. They accept the responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we' gets the credit.”

Coach T. would agree. Do you?

Servant Leadership in Action

It was the night before the execution, Roman style; not a lethal injection, but a public hanging on a cross, for the world to see and remember. But first, the Passover Meal.

Jesus and His disciples make their way to an Upper Room along a dust-covered street. At the house, a servant stood at the front door to wash the feet of guests as they arrived. This night the foot washer didn't show and no disciple volunteered to replace him. Ever wonder why? Maybe they thought. . .

“I’m not a foot washer; not me; not my job.”

“I'll do hands---maybe; not feet.”

“I'm not a slave.”

“Have a slipped disc; Doctor recommends no bending or stooping.”

“I'm hungry. Need to eat.”

Each one walks in the front door, looks around the room at the dinner table, and takes a seat.

Then Jesus enters. He walks to the table, sitting between John and Judas. He notices the dirty feet of his men reclining at the table. He doesn't say much. Maybe He remembers His sermons, His challenges, His teachings about serving one another, about greatness. Maybe he thought. . .

“Did it do any good?”

“Will no one have the humility to wash even my feet?”

“My death is imminent.”

“Will no one serve me?”

When no one makes a move, Jesus makes His. Quietly, as the others ate, He slips away from the table, removes His outer robe, wraps a towel around His waist, and takes in hand a pitcher of water, a basin, and towel. Without saying a word (until He gets to Peter) He carefully washes the feet of each disciple.

NO FANFARE, NO HYPE

NO BELLS AND WHISTLES OR HORNS BLARING

NO MEDIA PHOTO OP

NO ATTENTION DRAWN TO HIMSELF

NOTHING IS BENEATH THE DIGNITY OF A SERVANT LEADER. THEY SIMPLY WANT TO SERVE.

Jesus even washed the feet of Judas. JUDAS! Backstabber. Betrayer. Backslider. Conspirator. Double-crosser. His picture hangs in the same Hall of Shame as Benedict Arnold.

Knowing what Judas the Fink was up to, Jesus stooped down, removed Judas’s sandals, and washed his feet without a word.

Servant leaders stoop to meet needs. They're foot washers. They get involved in people's lives. Servant leadership is doing---not talking about it in board meetings, or preaching it in sermons. Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. . . Now that you know these things, you will be blessed IF YOU DO THEM.”

SERVANT LEADERS ACCEPT THE CALL TO SERVE WHETHER OTHERS DESERVE TO BE SERVED OR NOT—EVEN A JUDAS!

WILL YOU?

WOULD YOU HIRE JESUS TO BE YOUR LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT?

Is servant leadership just a “church” thing, something only for pastors, their staff, ministry leaders? Does servant leadership fit into the world of business leadership? Do the principles of servant leadership work for:

            · A corporate executive at AT&T?

            · A president of an airline?

            · A business entrepreneur?

            · A general manager at Starbucks?

            · A doctor, dentist, lawyer?

            · A school principal? A schoolteacher?

            · A little league coach?

Jesus knows your environment whether it's pastoral, business, athletic or school related. Remember, He spent the first thirty years of His earthly life in the family's carpentry business. He knew what it was to work with His hands, earn a living, make decisions, deal with customers, and be exhausted at the end of a day.

 Would you hire the Lord Jesus to be your leadership consultant? Does He have the expertise to deal with the leadership issues you face every day? Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges in their fine book Lead Like Jesus (pages 16&17), reflect on some leadership challenges Jesus encountered:

            · Working with or living and caring for imperfect people.

            · Taking time to train, develop, and delegate

            ·  Under constant scrutiny and testing of commitment and integrity

            ·  Facing fierce competition and conflicting demands from friends and foes

            · Tempted by instant gratification, recognition, misuse of power

            · Facing serious personnel issues, including turnover and betrayal

            · Commitment in a multicultural environment.

            · The need to challenge the status quo and hierarchy to bring about change

            · The need to call attention to poor leadership at great personal risk

            · The need to put career or relationships on the line to serve a higher purpose

            · In your darkest hour, to be abandoned by your friends

When you hire a consultant, you want the best. So why not bring in the Lord Jesus, who is perfect in everything? He's not just smart, He's brilliant. He's the smartest, the wisest man who ever lived. He always has the best information on everything and certainly on the things that matter most in human life. AND, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. . . For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are---yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 2:18; 4:15)

Why Are You in Leadership?

So, you're a leader. Congratulations!  And with your leadership come certain perks and benefits; maybe: a nice salary (more than others on your staff), reserved parking space for your company car, comfortable office with picture windows, expense account, iPhone and iPad, laptop, gasoline mileage, health club membership, etc., all provided because you're a leader.

Imagine for a moment that you didn't have this lifestyle and these benefits. Would you still be a leader?

What if no one had to think your way was always the best way? What if you didn't always have to have the final word? What if you had to listen more than you spoke? What if being “in charge” meant that your job was to see others succeed, to put them and their interests first? What if those you led got ALL the credit and you weren't acknowledged?  Would you still want to lead?

What if all you received was the pleasure of seeing others grow to greater character, achieve more than even they imagined, and you were the spark, the catalyst, the mentor throughout the process? They received the applause, the “well done,” the pat on the back, and respect from others. And no one knew what you did or cared. Would you still be motivated to lead? Could you handle NOT being in the spotlight?

Servant Leadership is hard work; it's a tough deal; impossible at times. Perhaps it should come with a Surgeon General's Warning: Servant leadership may cause headache, nausea, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, anxiety, indecision, loneliness, depression, and stress.

Here's a question every servant leader must ask, “What am I in it for?” If we're in it only for ourselves, we'll do more getting than giving, expect more from others and less from ourselves, be more willing to be served than to serve. Servant leaders are into self-sacrifice, not self-promotion, like the Lord Jesus, who “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of the servant. . . and became obedient to death----EVEN death on a cross!” (Philippians 2: 7, 8) He served so well it killed Him.

Integrity Takes Guts

You're a leader--CEO of a corporation, president of a bank, principal of a school, head coach of a football team, military general, lead pastor, Bible study leader, parent of teenagers, or owner of your own business. Do you want to shock the world you live in? I mean really rock it? Then. ..

Have the guts to stand strong with integrity in a culture lacking moral fiber

Have the guts. . . . to tell the truth all the time. . . to say what you mean and mean what you say every time. . . to not cut ethical corners or take shortcuts. . .to not compromise under pressure. . . to not mess around when you're out of town. . .to keep your words when no one checks up on you. . .to keep your promises . . . to be financially accountable, personally reliable, and privately pure. . to be honest at all costs. . .to do what is right when no one else is looking or when everyone else is compromising. . . to not cheat on exams or plagiarize a paper. That kind of life radiates like a brilliant star lighting up the universe (Philippians 2:15)

INTEGRITY ROCKS!!

Three things to remember about integrity:

·         INTEGRTITY STAYS IN PLACE WHETHER TESTED BY ADVERSITY OR PROSPERITY. Of the two, prosperity is the more difficult. With adversity, life gets simple, basic … fast. The goal is SURVIVAL! With prosperity comes a variety of temptations and inducements. Remember Daniel managed his integrity at the top of the ladder as well as at the bottom of the lion's den. He went in with integrity and came out with it.

·         INTEGRITY IS CONSISTENT whether you are a husband, wife, or parent, an employee or employer, a leader or follower, a teacher or student, a pastor or a ministry leader.

·         INTEGRITY BEGINS NOW. Now is the time:

to be above reproach

to change your attitude

to be pure, honest, trust worthy

to maintain an unbending walk with the Lord.

“As a man (a leader) thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Integrity is a matter of our hearts.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) Jesus told His disciples they were to live before the world so that the light of their character would be so apparent that people would give thanks to God.

An Unbending Walk with God

John Maxwell, a noted writer on leadership, writes, “Your gifts and skills might get you to the top, but only your character will keep you there.”

That's why Daniel's bio intrigues us. His character was flawless when he was at the top of the ladder and at the bottom of the lion's den. He went in with integrity and came out with it in tact.

Daniel had a superb work ethic, both in his attitude and performance. He did his work well because he saw it well. The two always go together. Also, Daniel had a blameless character. His peers did their best to dig up dirt to discredit Daniel in the king's eyes. Didn’t work. The guy was squeaky clean---morally upright, honest, above reproach, trustworthy. THAT'S INTEGRITY. Remember CHARACTER ALWAYS COUNTS.

The peer group didn't back down. Not this bunch. Daniel 6: 5 reads that the only way the mob might find any basis for charges against Daniel was in something tied to “the law of his God.” The “dirt team” appealed to the king's ego and manipulated him to sign an irrevocable law, ordering the people to pray only to the king for 30 days. If they didn't, they would be the evening meal for lions.

Daniel wasn't deterred by the new law. It was his daily practice to pray three times in front of a window facing Jerusalem. Even a death threat couldn't stop him. For Daniel, it was a no-brainer. Maybe he reasoned, “I'll pray, why shouldn't I? Always have, always will. If I die, I die. Gotta go out some way.”

That underscores a third mark of Daniel’s integrity--AN UNBENDING WALK WITH GOD.

How's your walk with the Lord? Do you have one? Are you consistent? What distracts you? Too busy? Have you ever thought that if you're too busy for God, you're too busy?

Do you worship regularly or is it hit and miss? When you worship, do you really worship, connecting your heart with God's heart or is your worship perfunctory, routine, boring?

Beyond Sunday worship, do you allow personal time for God to speak to you through His dynamic Word?

Do you pray? Is it because you have to or because you can’t live without it?

CONSISTENCY IN YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD JESUS BREEDS INTEGRITY IN YOUR LIFE.

Servant leadership and a walk with God go hand-in-hand.

How's Your Personal Character?

INTEGRITY---It's sadly missing today.

   People feel they can't trust anyone anymore.

Business leaders can't trust their employees; employees can't trust their leaders.

Some well-known church leaders have failed miserably in their integrity.

Political candidates talk, but do their lives match their talk?

Integrity is hard to find because it's so easy to compromise. We compromise integrity by:

LYING, saying something is true when we know it isn't.

LUSTING, inappropriate sexual thoughts.

LOITERING, hanging out with the wrong crowd.

LOOTING, taking something that isn't ours.

Daniel is a great model of leadership integrity. His work ethic was flawless, both in his performance and perspective. And the king promoted him to the top position in the kingdom.

THAT'S WHEN IT HIT THE FAN!

As long as Daniel did his job, everything was fine. Instead, he excelled above the others, and things changed---dramatically. The managers under Daniel and the two vice presidents, formed an investigation committee looking for hidden dirt in Daniel's life. They stalked him, talked about him to others, gained access into his computer to check his files, went through his desk, checked out his closets, unlocked his iPhone, and who knows what else.

They found NOTHING. ZERO. NADA---no hanky-panky, no secret funds, no fraud, no hushed cover ups, no corruption, no scandal in the making, no goofing off on company time. Daniel met his deadlines on time. He left work when he should not when he felt like it. He didn't make it a habit to take extended lunches on company time. The guy was squeaky clean which reveals another quality of integrity---A Blameless Character.

How's your personal character?

Are you reliable? Negligent? Getting by with things you shouldn't?

Do you keep your promises to your kids? All the time?

Are you truthful when your spouse asks about your spending, your time?

Do you answer emails, texts? Return calls when you say you will?

Are you careful where you go, who you are with?

Are you personally holy?

.

LEADERSHIP INTEGRITY

Some believe personal character has little to do with leadership. Do you agree? If so, then ask yourself these questions:

Do people of low character influence and inspire you to action?

Do you get along well with people of low character?

Do you admire people of low character?

Would you welcome them leading you?

Like it or not, agree or disagree, character counts in leadership. Warren Bennis, who studied and wrote extensively on leadership, said, “Leadership is character in action.”  Character is what people will remember about you more than your brilliance, ingenuity, competency, and energy.

Integrity is one of the greatest qualities of a leader's character. Integrity (or lack of it) is a leader's legacy, what people remember about them. Integrity doesn't cut ethical corners, tell subordinates to lie, cheat, falsify records, shift blame to others, or compromise under pressure. Integrity doesn't fear the light of scrutiny.

Daniel was a leader who incarnated integrity. At the age of 80, he was a VP, a top-level position under Darius, the Persian king. Power was at his disposal. He had respect and elite status in this God-hating Persian system.

Daniel maintained a fabulous work ethic. Daniel 6:3 says that he excelled among the other leaders and managers so much that the king planned to promote him over the entire kingdom. Daniel stood out like a healthy thumb on a withered hand. He wasn't like everyone else. He did his work well because he saw it well. When review time, Daniel got promoted.

• How's your work? Do you do it well? Are you the best leader you can be?
• How's your attitude? Granted we all have bad days, but is every day a bad day? Is the problem a bad day or a bad life?
• Are you easy to work for or with? How would others rate your leadership performance?  
• Are you a tough guy, the boss, control freak, or a servant leader who is considerate and respectful of others and their ideas?
• How's your spiritual perspective toward your leadership? Does God fit into your leadership role every day? How?

A MARK OF INTEGRITY IS EXCELLENCE ON THE JOB, BOTH IN PERFORMANCE AND ATTITUDE

A LEADER'S INTEGRITY

“In a president, character is everything,” writes Peggy Noonan, speechwriter for both Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. She continued, “A president doesn't have to be brilliant. . . he doesn't have to be clever; you can hire clever. . . You can hire pragmatic, and you can buy and bring in policy wonks. But you cannot buy courage and decency; you can't rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those things with him.”

What she says of a president is true of any leader regardless of their leadership responsibilities. Leadership character is not optional; it's essential. You dare not lead without it.

If one character trait stands out above the others, it's INTEGRITY. Embrace this one and you embrace many of the others. Integrity is wholeness . . . entireness. . . completeness . . . soundness. It's what personal health is to your body, what 20/20 vision is to your eyes. Integrity has nothing to hide. It's an open book.

Psalm 78:72 says of David, “And David shepherded them (Israel) with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” That's a perfect balance for a leader. David skillfully handled situations that had no rules, no boundaries, no precedence. And in his character, he had a heart of integrity. He wasn't perfect; no leader is. But David was complete, whole, sound.

Integrity:

·         Tells the truth every time, not just when it's convenient.

·         Means what it says and says what it means.

·         Is financially accountable, wise in handling money, especially another's.

·         Is personally reliable; it keeps its promises. When it says, “I'll meet you at 9:00, it's 9:00 not 9:05.

·          Is privately pure. No double life that causes shame and disgrace to the family if known.

“He who walks with integrity and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. . . will never be shaken.” (Psalm15)

THE COMING OF JESUS, THE SERVANT LEADER

When the greatest leader of all time came on the scene, hardly anyone noticed . . . or cared.

The obstetrician was the baby’s earthly father, the delivery room, an animal courtyard.

No protocol or pretension.

Angels weren’t flying about, only flies.

Important CEO’s or big names weren’t hovering around; only donkeys, some cows, sheep, maybe a camel, and a horde of barn mice.

He was born in lowliness, lived in meekness, died in humility, and yet raised from the dead in awesome splendor.

That’s Jesus, the One we magnify in our worship this Christmas . . . Jesus, the Name above all Names. . Jesus, our Redeemer. . .

Jesus, the prime example of a servant leader for leaders to follow.

WHAT DRIVES YOUR SUCCESS?

What drives your success as a leader? You might think it’s your impressive skills. They are important, but the lack of skills is not what derails many leaders. Skills are too easy to learn.

When leaders fail to thrive, the culprit is often their leadership character, not their lack of skills.

Mark Miller uses the picture of an iceberg to illustrate leadership. 10% of an iceberg is visible above the water and 90% below. Let the part above represent leadership skills, the things leaders do and people see all the time (set the vision, establish goals, plan, resolve conflict). Let the part below, the unseen, represent leadership character, what a leader is on the inside.

90% of a leader’s effectiveness is determined by what’s below the waterline. Leadership character ultimately drives what a leader does and why they do it. It colors everything we do as a leader.

Many leaders spend most of their time and energy developing the 10%. They earn BBA/MBA degrees from prestigious universities, take in leadership seminars, hire professional consultants, whatever it takes to make them successful, good, prosperous in the 10% above the waterline.

Yet, little or no effort is spent developing the 90% of leadership character, who they really are as people. They’re like the man who built a nice house—beautiful, big, comfortable, loaded with luxuries. Foolishly the house was built on beach sand. You’ve heard the story. When the hurricane hit, the house collapsed, the valued client said “no,” the business went bankrupt, key people left the company, a marriage ended, the family fell apart, a life was shattered.

“Character is the ability to meet the demands of reality.” Henry Cloud.

The real stressors of life are not the business issues, but the character issues.

Character always rules

A LEADER’S CHARACTER

Character is the #1 issue in leadership. Howard Hendricks has said, “The greatest crisis in the world today is a crisis of leadership, and the greatest crisis of leadership is a crisis of character.”

            We see characterless leaders in corporations, like Enron, Andersen, Worldcom

            Characterless leaders in government like Richard Nixon

            Characterless leaders in athletics like Tiger Woods, Johnny Manziel

            Characterless leaders in finances like Bernard Madoff

            Characterless leaders in many marriages and families

            Characterless leaders in big churches and large ministries

These leaders didn’t fail in their competency; they excelled in what they did. They failed in their character. “99% of leadership failures are failures of character,” (General Norman Schwarzkopf.)

Servant leadership is character based. It deals with the heart, the center or inner core of our being from which our thoughts, actions, and habits flow. Servant leaders don’t just act differently. They are being transformed in their inner being which affects their leadership. It’s the inner life that counts.

GREAT LEADERSHIP IS SERVING

by Dr. Fred C. Campbell

The name Robert Greenleaf is synonymous with servant leadership. For forty years he worked for AT&T in researched management, development, and education. He had a growing suspicion that the top-down, autocratic, command-and-control leadership style wasn’t working in U.S. institutions.

Greenleaf was captivated by the idea of a servant being the best leader. In a book entitled Servant Leadership, he wrote that “the great leader is seen as servant first and that simple fact is the key to his greatness.” Service comes before leadership.

Someone greater and smarter than Robert Greenleaf actually said it first. Before His death, Jesus told His team of disciples, “Whoever wants to become great among you, must be your servant (emphasis a willingness to serve) and whoever wants to be first must be a slave to all” (emphasis on an obligation to serve). Then He defined His mission, “. . . not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) His leadership led Him to the Cross. It cost Him His life.

Great leadership isn’t primarily about methods, techniques, and skills. It’s not about titles, positions, corner offices, exquisite memberships in private clubs, tailored suits and luxury cars. GREAT LEADERS LEAD BEST WHEN THEY SERVE. SERVING MAKES A LEADER GREAT, BUT YOU MAY PAY A PRICE FOR SELF-DENIAL.

LEADERSHIP CAN BE RISKY

by Dr. Fred C. Campbell

Leadership is a risky business. The fine art of sailing an organization through stormy waters can endanger not only the leader, but also the followers on board.

E.J. Smith, Captain of the Titanic, knows. Foolishly ignoring six iceberg warnings, he ordered the crew “FULL SPEED AHEAD.” Why?

This would be the Captain’s final voyage before retirement and he wanted to arrive ahead of schedule.

On April 14, around 11:30 PM, a 100′ iceberg scraped the Titanic’s side, slicing open over 200′ of the ship. The boat immediately flooded with water. At 2:30 AM, the unsinkable ocean liner sank in the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean with 1500 passengers, the Captain and crew. Only 712 survived.

THE SHIP WAS SOLID, STRONG; THE LEADERSHIP WASN’T.

Leaders are like captains. They set the direction, determine the speed, command the crew, and assume responsibility for those on board. When leaders (like Capt. Smith) take risks for their benefit only without regard for others, they chart a dangerous path to a collision.

Leadership is at its best when it moves from self-serving to self-sacrificial. It’s the way Jesus led, the world’s finest and only perfect leader for all time, for all organizations, for all people, for all situations.