Attention in leadership today has been diverted to mere celebration of charisma and personality of the leader. Rather than focusing on charisma, leadership should focus on guiding the activities of others while the leader also acts and performs to bring those activities about.
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A leader is capable of performing acts that guide a group in achieving set objectives. He takes the capacities of vision and faith coupled with the ability to have concern for the welfare of those with whom the objectives will be achieved.
So, leadership is leading the followers towards a targeted objective with a consideration for the plea and aspiration of the followers, while the leader himself gets actively involved in the achievement of such objectives.
This means that the leader will not sit or fold his hands while he gives command or orders the followers around.
Servant leadership has a connotation of representative service, it is what is referred to as having a leader serving as a servant. The idea of servant leadership is to first be a servant not a leader. It is commitment to a selfless sefollowersServant leadership also requires humility and a firm grasps on purpose and value. It involves preventing power from corrupting leadership and avoiding the manipulation and control of followers.
Jerry C. Wofford opine that servant leadership places values on service, attentiveness to others needs and personal humility.
In the content of this article, servant leadership is having a desire to serve in the capacity of leader by representing the welfare of the followers through selfless commitment to service. Leadership position should not be used for selfish purposes
The benefits of servant leadership cannot be over emphasized. In view of all that has been said so far, the following benefits are identified.
As followers sense the humility and sincerity of servant leaders, they seek to emulate them and there by, the spirit of humility permeates everyone.
As followers witness the selfless service of the leader, the become inspired to service with the same selflessness that they have witnessed
Servant leadership is infectious, it spreads from one person to another person until the unpretentious attitude and caring heart permeate the entire environment.
Servant leadership empower others by building confidence in them because they do not hide the fact that they are fellow believers with faults and frailties.
Servant leadership discourages pride and the playing lords in the church. This draws the followers more closer to the leaders as the leaders do not hold themselves up as super human, they refuse to "play god" even when others would bow down before them. They know that is form of leadership only enslaves and destroys both leaders and their followers.
Servant leadership always strives to build a Christian community of sharing, openness, mutual support, and authentic communication so that an atmosphere of truth, love and mutual service will permeate.
Servant leadership does not rule the followers in doing what he expects them to do, rather he leads them to do it by doing it first himself. This emphasizes leadership by example as potrayed by Jesus Christ our model. This makes the followers to do willingly without coercion.
Servant leadership encourages leaders to lead with a shepherd heart by feeding and growing all the people under his influence and care. This makes the leadership role of the shepherd more effective.
