Jesus said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:42-45).If you want to be a good leader, start by being a good follower and a good servant! Sometimes, people want to lead before they learn how to follow. Non-followers make terrible leaders. They are self-absorbed and don't deal very well with people in general.
Occasionally, folks will come to me and offer their services in a leadership capacity. My usual response is "you can start your leadership journey by jumping in and helping others. The best leaders know how to follow well."
Sometimes, they walk away with a sniff. "I'm happy to be up front leading, but how dare you ask me to serve behind the scenes? Aren't you aware of my tremendous gifts and abilities?"
Yes -- and I am also aware of an over-inflated ego.
A gentleman graduated from college and signed up as an officer in the Salvation Army. He was a good Christian man, and was excited about his new role and looked forward to providing visionary leadership for the cause.
But he was greatly dismayed when on his first day at work, the very fist assignment was to polish a room full of boots -- filthy, worn, ugly scruffed up boots!
"I can't believe they're doing this to me!" he grumbled, "Don't they know that I'm here to lead? I am an officer for heaven's sake! I've just graduated with honors! Why on earth would they give me such a crummy task? I didn't apply to be a servant!"
Then, the truth dawned on him. In order to lead, he had to be a good follower. There is no job too small for a great leader. If you think a job is "beneath" you, that shows you aren't ready yet. Your job isn't beneath you, YOU are beneath the job!
The best leaders are servants. From underneath, they lift up those around them and possess a "whatever it takes" attitude.
Getting along with others is a golden rule of leadership.
Do you want to become a better leader? Start serving!
