Christian Business Concepts
Christian Business Concepts
Unlock the Power of Servant Leadership
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What if the secret to building a resilient and thriving organization lies not in authority, but in service? Discover the transformative power of servant leadership and learn how this approach can redefine success in your business and personal life. Drawing inspiration from biblical teachings and the pioneering insights of Robert Greenleaf, we contrast this compassionate leadership style with traditional methods that focus solely on organizational triumph. Explore how prioritizing the growth and empowerment of individuals can lead to higher team morale, trust, and collaboration. Through the example of Jesus and insights from former Popeyes CEO Cheryl Bachelder, we offer practical strategies to cultivate empathy, active listening, and a culture of collaboration within your team.
Embark on a journey to embrace servant leadership principles across all facets of life—whether in your family, career, or community. With heartfelt reflections and actionable exercises, we aim to equip you with the tools needed to lead with integrity and foresight, considering long-term impacts over immediate gains. We emphasize the importance of aligning leadership with personal values such as compassion and empathy to create ethical and impactful leaders. As we wrap up, we encourage you to spread the word and join a community committed to the uplifting message of service, underscoring the belief that everyone can become more effective servant leaders. For more wisdom and resources, visit christianbusinessconcepts.com.
Welcome to the Christian Business Concepts with your host, harold Milby. Christian Business Concepts is dedicated to guiding companies and business owners in becoming effective, efficient and successful through God's Word and godly principles. Now, here's your host, harold Milby.
Speaker 2:Thank you, kelly, and thank you everyone for downloading this week's Christian Business Concepts podcast, and I pray that this podcast will encourage you, enlighten you and empower you. You know our goal here at CBC is to help business leaders and organizational leaders and anyone else really find true godly success by unlocking the power of biblical principles. Now you can help us reach our goal of reaching 1 million business leaders and people with this podcast by sharing it on your Facebook and your LinkedIn pages. That would be great and we would appreciate that. Now, before we get into today's podcast, I want to give a big shout out to Palmerston North in Manawatū Wanagani, and Palmerston North is a city in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Manawatū Wanagani region and thank you for all of you who have downloaded in the past few weeks. And thank you for all of you who have downloaded in the past few weeks the podcast here at CBC. It just seems like you've just exploded on the scene all of a sudden and we want to thank you, along with all of our loyal listeners. We want to thank you for being a part of Christian Business Concepts. It's humbling to know that there are so many of you around the world that are listening to this podcast and we just want to thank you for it.
Speaker 2:You know, over the past few years I know I've spoke a lot and mentioned a lot about servant leadership and its importance, but I've never really had a podcast dedicated to this subject, so I thought it would be important to do so right now. So servant leadership is a leadership philosophy. It's where the primary goal of the leader is to serve others, and it was really kind of understood or coined, if we could say it that way, by Robert Greenleaf, and he wrote an essay in 1970 called the Servant as Leader. And this approach really contrasts with the traditional leadership which typically prioritizes the company or the organization's success over individual growth sometimes, and servant leaders focus on the needs of their team members and really kind of fosters this culture of trust and empowerment and collaboration and servant leadership. It really stands out as a transformative approach, I think, that that prioritizes growth and empowerment and success of others. And choosing to become a servant leader isn't just about adopting a management style. It's really about embracing a mindset that aligns personal and organizational success together as you serve others.
Speaker 2:You know, mark, chapter 10, verses 42 through 45, says and Jesus called them to him and said to them you know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority over them, but it shall not be so among you, he goes on to say, or the Word of God goes on to say about the subject. In Philippians 2, verses 3 through 8, it says Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. So if you want to know about servant leadership, look at the life of Jesus, because Jesus was God incarnate, but yet he took the form of a servant.
Speaker 2:You know, stephen Covey said it's been generally known, or he says it's been generally my experience, that the very top people of truly great organizations are servant leaders, and I'll have a few examples of that along the way as we talk about this today, but you may be asking. You know why. Why would I want to be a servant leader? So let me give you a few reasons. First, you enhance team morale and engagement. You know servant leadership it builds trust. It builds respect and mutual appreciation within your groups, within your teams, within your sub-organizations, within your company or organization or church, and by prioritizing employees' needs, leaders really cultivate this environment where individuals feel very valued, very respected, and the benefit to that is is you get high employee satisfaction and stronger collaboration and reduced turnover. So a leader who really ensures that their team has the resources, the support, the training they need demonstrate that they care about them, and employees in those kinds of environments are more likely to feel empowered and motivated. Another reason why you'd want to is because you enable others to reach their full potential. You know servant leadership invests in the growth and the development of their employees, their team members, their organizational leaders. It, you know, unlocks their potential and it really kind of fosters this ability to innovate. You know Hebrews 13, 16 says Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. What we want to do is we want to help people get to a better place. You know, I think, that great companies try to bring people to their full potential, no matter what level they're at.
Speaker 2:Let's look at another. When you do this another good reason for being this type of leader being this servant leader you align your leadership with your personal values, and there's a lot of companies and a lot of leaders who don't do that. So they lead one way but it doesn't reflect their personal values. So for many people, becoming a servant leader aligns with that. It aligns with their personal values like compassion and empathy and a desire to make a positive impact, and when you do that, it really increases the fulfillment and your ethical influence. You know a leader who prioritizes fairness and honesty and respect, because that's part of his values. You inspire others to do the same thing and to uphold these same kind of values in their own work and in their own interactions.
Speaker 2:Next is you create a sustainable and resilient organization. You know that's the other thing, and people don't look at it that way. A lot of times they think it's just. You know, oh, this is the new management style, that's what I should do. No, it really does change the company or the organization Servant leadership, it emphasizes long-term growth, you know, by focusing on the well-being of the people, the organization, the community, you know it just it gives you a lot of better or much more improved productivity. It gives you a better reputation, it makes you more adaptable. You know, when a servant leader who prioritizes professional development programs and promotes work-life balance, it really strengthens an organization's ability to retain good, top talent.
Speaker 2:Another is you inspire and empower future leaders. So that's what you want to do. You don't want to be at the top of the totem pole. What you want to do is you want to be able to help others get to the top and you can have great leaders within your organization. That way, you know servant leaders, they mentor, they develop other people, they become leaders themselves and you create this big ripple effect for a lot of great, lasting and positive change. So that's important.
Speaker 2:Another is meeting, or you meet, evolving workforce expectations. So you know today's workforce values. They value inclusivity, they want to be included, they want to have a purpose and they want their leaders to prioritize their employees' well-being. And you know, and when you do that, you attract really good talent, you get people to be willing to innovate and they align themselves with the values that the company has, and a servant leader who advocates for flexible work arrangements, for example, and promotes diversity initiatives. They demonstrate this ability, desire to be adaptable to the modern workforce needs, and I think that's important.
Speaker 2:Another is personal growth. So, for you, you have personal growth because when you become a servant leader, it challenges you to grow emotionally, intellectually and professionally, so that's important. So, through a lot of active listening with your employees and your team members and reflection, a servant leader develops this deeper connection with team members, but it also causes them to improve their own ability to lead effectively. And then, lastly, it helps you to lead beyond the workplace. You begin to have more of a social impact because servant leaders, their principles, extend beyond just that organization. It extends beyond the company boundaries. It inspires positive change within your employees and your team members and that really affects a society. And so you want that community engagement and to have that global influence and personal contribution. You know a servant leader who really, I guess, champions sustainability programs or community outreach initiatives. What they're doing is they're amplifying really their positive influence. So, for example, satya Nadella, who's the CEO of Microsoft since taking over in 2014,. Nadella transformed Microsoft's culture from one of an internal competition, so to speak, to collaboration and he focuses on empathy and employee development and fostering a growth mindset. So his leadership really has revitalized Microsoft and it's made it one of the most valuable companies globally, worldwide.
Speaker 2:I like what Winston Churchill said. He said we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give, and I think that's really at the center, at the core of what servant leadership is all about. So what are some of the characteristics of a servant leader? Well, first there's empathy. You know servant leaders actively listen to their team. They seek to understand where they're coming from and what their challenges are. An example would be maybe they hold regular one-on-one meetings to ensure that employees feel heard and supported.
Speaker 2:Another characteristic is awareness. They maintain this high level of self-awareness and organizational awareness. They recognize their strengths, their weaknesses and their biases. You know, example would be reflecting on their decisions to identify areas for improvement, but they have this characteristic of awareness. Next would be listening. Prioritizing active listening, I think, is something a servant leader does to create this environment where your team members, your employees, feel valued. You know, encouraging open dialogue and genuinely considering feedback before you make decisions. Don't just take the feedback, but consider the feedback so that they see that what they're sharing with you is something that you value. Next is their healing. You know a servant leader strives to nurture and restore the well-being of individual teams and individuals. You know you address conflicts and you have this very supportive environment.
Speaker 2:Another characteristic persuasion. You know servant leaders influence. They influence people through reasoning, through relationship building, rather than just authority and coercion. You know what I'm saying. It's the old-style leadership that you just do what I say, I'm the boss, and instead you focus on reasoning and relationship building. Another is stewardship. Stewardship Servant leaders view their role as a caretaker. As a steward, you're ensuring resources are used wisely and responsibly. You know you're promoting sustainable practices and ethical decision-making. You know that's stewardship. You know Dan Price is the founder of a company called Gravity Payments and he really got a lot of attention in the media because he reduced his own salary to $70,000 a year to ensure that every employee in his company earned a living wage, and he consistently emphasizes the importance of employee well-being and fair treatment over the personal profit or company profit, and so he's a really good example.
Speaker 2:Another characteristic is foresight. So servant leaders they kind of anticipate future challenges and opportunities and they make really good, informed decisions because they're collaborative and they get all this information. They want feedback, and that benefits the long-term well-being of not only the people but also the organization. So you know, proactively planning for market changes and industry shifts is something that they do. Another characteristic is a commitment to the growth of people, investing in your team members and employees, both personally and professionally, develop through this care that they have it becomes a priority, so they offer training, they offer mentorship. They have it becomes a priority, so they offer training, they offer mentorship, they have career advancement programs and opportunities, and so that's what's important to them is to grow people. And next then is building community. You know servant leaders work to create this sense of belonging, camaraderie, even within their teams and organizations. You know they organize team building activities and they recognize individual not just team contributions, but they recognize individual contributions as well.
Speaker 2:So what are the steps, what are the actual steps that you need to take to become a servant leader? So you've decided I see the benefits, I see the characteristics, I want to be more of a servant leader. What do I need to do? Well, first, you need to develop a servant mindset. You've got to shift your focus away from what can I achieve to how can I help others succeed. Because, see, when you help other people succeed, you help yourself succeed. That has been taught to me for many, many years. I've heard it from so many great leaders, so many great business and leadership teachers over the years. You know help others, get to where they want to be and they'll help you get to where you want to be. And I think that's it. You have to develop this servant mindset.
Speaker 2:The next thing that you have to do is you've got to cultivate. You have to cultivate within yourself active listening skills. You've got to regularly practice active listening. You've got to give your full attention to people who are talking to you, and that means even your body language needs to reflect that you are seriously listening to what they have to say. And then you paraphrase what they're saying to confirm that you're understanding what they're trying to say. And what you want to do is make sure that you avoid interrupting people. Don't assume you think you know what they're going to say. Maybe at the end of the conversation you knew all of it, but you don't want to interrupt them. Let them continue. You know James 1 and 19 talks about be slow to speak and quick to hear. I think it's important that we listen to people, so you've got to cultivate that active listening skill set.
Speaker 2:Next, you need to prioritize empathy and compassion. You know that doesn't make you weak. It doesn't make you weak in front of employees. You know, when you strive to see situations from your team members' perspectives, it gives you a whole level of respect that you have not had prior to. You know, prior to you know Cheryl Balkelder. She's the former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. You know Cheryl turned around Popeyes. She took over and was struggling and she really turned it around. But she focused on servant leadership and she prioritized listening to employees, listening to the franchise owners, which led to much, much better morale within the company and in turn it brought a lot of financial success for the company. But she understood servant leadership. Another thing that you need to do to become a servant leader is you've got to encourage people to collaborate with one another as well as yourself. You've got to foster this environment where diverse ideas and opinions are involved.
Speaker 2:You know 1 Corinthians, 12, 20 through 25 says as it is, there are many parts, yet one body, the eye, cannot say to the hand I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet. I have no need of you. On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable, we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with great modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body. Now understand. He was talking about the church, he was talking about the body of Christ. But what he was saying here was that everyone had important places. He looked at the body of Christ as a human body. We had eyes and ears and nose. Well, not everybody in the body of Christ does the same thing. Not everybody's a pastor, not everybody's a teacher. There's some people that are nursery workers, there are some people that go out and they like evangelism, and so they all have different parts and different opinions and diverse ideas. And this scripture is talking about you welcome that, you want that. So you want that collaboration, you want that environment of ideas and opinions. And then, next, you got to lead by example. You got to lead by example 've got to model the behavior and the values that you want to see in your people. You have to lead by example. 1 Timothy 4.12 says Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example. He's saying be an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Be an example. So we lead by example if we're going to be a servant leader. Next, you invest in personal growth. We've talked about that. You have to figure out ways to seek their feedback about even your leadership style. Engage in a continual learning, help them through books and courses and mentorship, and you should be doing the same thing. You should be doing the same thing. You may be at a different level, but you should be doing the same thing. You should have a growth plan for your life every year, every year. Next is you need to empower your team. You need to delegate responsibilities, and then you got to trust them to make decisions. So you have to empower them and then you have to focus on the long-term impact. That's another way that you become a servant leader. You've got to consider how that your actions today is going to influence your organization or your company's culture tomorrow and in the future. You know, in Genesis, chapter 25, we see where Esau, who was the older brother of Jacob and Esau and he sold his birthright. He had the birthright, being the oldest. He sold his birthright for a bowl of soup because he had been out hunting. He was really, really hungry and Jacob took that opportunity to gain the birthright instead of Esau and Esau sold it for something short-term. He sold it for something that was just his appetite. Boy. That whole idea would preach, I think would be a great message. But you know you don't want to look at short-term, you want to look at long-term impact. So what are some practical exercises let's say that you can do to build your leadership skills, to build your servant leadership skills? Well, to me you ought to have a daily reflection time. You know, at the end of each day, reflect on the interactions that you had with people, you know, ask yourself did I prioritize their needs? How can I be better at that tomorrow? And you reflect on the things that you did and how does that coexist with being a servant leader? So that's important. And then you can do something to look at your empathy. How is your empathy? You know some people say, use an empathy map and you can look that up. But basically it's just to help understand your team members' feelings, their challenges, their motivations those are really really critical is to understand what motivates your team members' feelings or challenges their motivations. Those are really really critical is to understand what motivates your team members. So that's one thing you can do. And then you can do role reversal scenarios. You know you can participate in activities where you step into the role of a team member to better understand their perspective. You know I have done that over the years. You know I have stepped in with people, worked alongside people in different areas of a company and I have done that and it has gained a tremendous amount of respect. I even had an owner one time ask me why do you do that? Why are you doing that? You know that's not what your job is. Your job is to do this. I said, yeah, but if you'll trust me with this, you'll see the motivation go up and you'll see productivity go up. Just because I spent a little time on the floor working side by side with some of these employees and he did see that and never heard another word. But it does make a difference. It does make a difference. Then you can do feedback sessions. You know you can schedule regular feedback sessions where you can really discuss how things are going, how your leadership is impacting you know the organization or a team and you can maybe find some areas of growth. And then next, you know, gratitude, practice gratitude. You know, make it a habit. Don't just do it. Because I'm saying do it, I'm saying make it a habit to express genuine appreciation to your team members for their contributions and for what they're doing. I think that is so critical and so important contributions and for what they're doing. I think that is so critical and so important. Now there's some challenges. There's some challenges to servant leadership, no question. You know you've got to learn to balance service and accountability. So while you're focusing on serving others, you also have to maintain accountability for performance and results. I mean, it's still a business, right. So you got to set some clear expectations and then provide very constructive feedback. But you have to have this balance of service and accountability. Next, you have to be very, very careful of avoiding burnout. You know supporting others can be really emotionally demanding, so you have to really prioritize taking care of yourself. You also have to set some boundaries. We've talked about that before. And then you're going to have to address resistance, because there's going to be some team members that are going to be skeptical skeptical of this, skeptical especially if that's not been your leadership style in the past. They're going to be very skeptical of it and so you're going to have to work through that. You're going to have to be consistent and transparent when you communicate to help build that trust. So servant leadership is really it's not merely a management strategy. Leadership is really it's not merely a management strategy it's really a way of life that fosters a really supportive and ethical and high-performing organizational culture. You know, and really, by focusing on the growth and the well-being of individuals, I believe that servant leaders they create these environments where people can thrive and organizations can achieve the success that they need and they want. And I believe you begin by practicing active listening and identifying small but meaningful ways to serve your team on a daily basis. Remember, servant leadership it's a journey of continuous learning and growth. Lord, I come to you, lord, right now, in the name of your son, jesus, and I ask that you minister to each and every person who listens to this podcast and, lord, I pray that each person makes a commitment to becoming more of a servant leader in their family, in their business, in their career, in their church, lord, help them to take this serious and apply these principles that we've discussed today, and let them see what you can accomplish through them, lord, through them, and that they learn from you and serve as a servant and Lord. We thank you for that In Jesus' name, amen. Well, thank you again for downloading and listening to today's podcast, and be sure to share CBC with four or five other people that you think could benefit. Well, it looks like our time is up, so until next time, I want you to remember that Jesus is Lord and he wants you blessed.
Speaker 1:Thank you for tuning into this week's Christian Business Concepts podcast. Go to christianbusinessconceptscom for more information and resources. Be sure to check out other podcasts that will help you take your business and your personal life to a whole new level of success.