Quotes & Sayings About A Servant Leader

If Everything's a Rush, Nothing Is — Miles Anthony Smith

I pray to be a good servant to God, a father, a husband, a son, a friend, a brother, an uncle, a good neighbor, a good leader to those who look up to me, a good follower to those who are serving God and doing the right thing. — Mark Wahlberg

He who cannot serve cannot lead. It is by being a servant that you recognize that followers also have needs. True leaders are service oriented! — Israelmore Ayivor

What the world needs are servants, not leaders. Everyone's wish is to become a leader ... Let us become a real servant instead. — Mata Amritanandamayi

Being others-focused instead of self-focused changes your worldview. Living in a selfless manner and seeking to help others enriches our very existence on a daily basis. Get your hands dirty once in a while by serving in a capacity that is lower than your position or station in life. This keeps you tethered to the real world and grounded to reality, which should make it harder to be prideful and forget where you came from. — Miles Anthony Smith

It's really hard to be a servant leader because we come into this world as a baby in a self-survival mode. Life is a journey toward service. — Ken Blanchard

Disillusionment takes us to the question: what does it profit a man if he gains this world and loses himself? And disillusionment exposes that while we were supposedly serving the kingdom, we somehow became the king, and when we thought we were following Jesus, we inexplicably made him a servant of our dreams. The only real tragedy is the leader who never allows disillusionment to wear him to a nub and expose the godlessness of his busyness. — Dan B. Allender

We practice mastering ourselves in the moment so that we can better open ourselves to being a servant leader and to harness our emotions and choose what to do with our reactions. — Lyssa Adkins

According to [the Bible], a leader is first and foremost a servant. His concern is not for himself; his concern is not to give orders, to boss other people around, to have his own way. His concern is to meet the needs of others. — Wayne Mack

The dynamic tension between daring and serving creates the conditions for superior performance. — Cheryl A. Bachelder

A noble leader answers not to the trumpet calls of self promotion, but to the hushed whispers of necessity. — Mollie Marti

Servant-leadership is more than a concept, it is a fact. Any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself as a servant of that group and will act accordingly. — M. Scott Peck

You cannot serve people by giving them orders as to what to do. The real servant of the people must live among them, think with them, feel for them, and die for them ... The servant of the people, unlike the leader, is not on a high horse trying to carry the people to some designated point to which he would like to go for his own advantage. The servant of the people is down among them, living as they live, doing what they do and enjoying what they enjoy. He may be a little better informed than some of the other members of the group; it may be that he as had some experience they have not had, but in spite of this advantage he should have more humility than those whom he serves. — Carter G. Woodson

A servant leader can always come down to the level of the one he is serving — Sunday Adelaja

42So Jesus called them together and said, You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. — Anonymous

What constitutes a good manager in this field? He must be knowledgeable in the art with which he is concerned, an impresario, labor negotiator, diplomat, educator, publicity and public relations expert, politician, skilled businessman, a social sophisticate, a servant of the community, a tireless leader - becomingly humble before authority - a teacher, a tyrant, and a continuing student of the arts. — John D. Rockefeller

It's been said that everything rises and falls on leadership, and the best type of leader, is a servant leader. For me, my life as a kingmaker includes serving — Cary Hokama

Habits Your habits are how you renew your daily commitment as a leader to serve rather than to be served. As a leader committed to serve despite all the pressures, trials, and temptations He faced, how did Jesus replenish His energy and servant perspective? His habits! Through a life pattern of solitude and prayer, knowledge of the will of God expressed in His Holy Word, and the community He shared with a small group of intimate companions, Jesus was constantly refreshed and renewed. — Kenneth H. Blanchard

In a servant leadership culture we learn by choice or example that if we want to be great, we have to serve others respectfully. — Vern Dosch

A Godly leader ... finds strength by realizing his weakness
finds authority by being under authority
finds direction by laying down his plans
finds vision by seeing the needs of others
finds credibility by being an example
finds loyalty by expressing compassion
finds honor by being faithful
finds greatness by being a servant — Roy Lessin

I started understanding that my strength is my gentleness. A leader isn't a dictator, a leader is a servant. — Tony Gaskins

The best organizations regard the nurturing of their employees as a spiritual mandate. — Nancy Pearcey

Christian leadership should include integrity, honesty, compassion, diplomacy, perception, common sense, and forgiveness. Serving as a Christian leader involves servant leadership, which is a radical commitment to their follower's life that requires acting in love no matter what it costs that leader. — Scott S. Haraburda

That was my first real experience at feeling set apart. Not only did I not knock them dead, but rather it was I that died...acutely aware of being mutton dressed up as lamb. I exchanged my white tie and tails for a white waiter's jacket and got back to my proper calling! — Graham Kerr

A leader must have a servant's heart. And if he has a servant's heart, he will act like a servant and react like a servant when he is treated like a servant. — Wayne Mack

Life is special when you reach out beyond yourself to be a true servant leader for others. — Ken Blanchard

Jesus, by example, tells us that every true leader should be a helper, a servant, or even a bondslave. This is a command, not a suggestion, and applies with special force to leaders. — Billy Graham

I chose to take the oath of office with my personal copy of the Bhagavad Gita because its teachings have inspired me to be a servant-leader, dedicating my life in the service of others and to my country. — Tulsi Gabbard

Christianity enhanced the notion of political and social accountability by providing a new model: that of servant leadership. In ancient Greece and Rome no one would have dreamed of considering political leaders anyone's servants. The job of the leader was to lead. But Christ invented the notion that the way to lead is by serving the needs of others, especially those who are the most needy. — Dinesh D'Souza

greatest leader is the one who would be just as content as a servant. — J.L. Lyon

And in some ways, to me, that's one of the inspiring and powerful things about the Great Migration itself. There was no leader, there was no one person who set the date who said, 'On this date, people will leave the South.' They left on their own accord for as many reasons as there are people who left. They made a choice that they were not going to live under the system into which they were born anymore and in some ways, it was the first step that the nation's servant class ever took without asking. — Isabel Wilkerson

Being a leader is not about finding ways to get others to serve you, but knowing how to serve your followers. — A.J. Darkholme

Now you tell me, when a father goes ahead and washes diapers or performs some other mean task for his child, and someone ridicules him as an effeminate fool, though that father is acting in the spirit just described and in Christian faith, my dear fellow you tell me, which of the two is most keenly ridiculing the other? God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling, not because that father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith. Those who sneer at him and see only the task but not the faith are ridiculing God with all his creatures, as the biggest fool on earth. Indeed, they are only ridiculing themselves; with all their cleverness they are nothing but devil's fools. — Martin Luther

Exercising adaptive leadership is about giving meaning to your life beyond your own ambition. — Ronald A. Heifetz

Jesus knew that the idea of leader as "loving servant of all" would not appeal to most people. Securing our own creature comforts is a much more common mission. But "servant" is His requirement for those who want to lead in His kingdom. — J. Oswald Sanders

If I were going to give my life as a servant of the King, I had to know that King. What was he like? In what could I trust him? In the same way I could trust a set of impersonal laws? Or could I trust him as a living leader, as a very present commander in battle? The question was central. Because if he were a king in name only, I would rather go back to the chocolate factory. I would remain a Christian, but I would know that my religion was only a set of principles, excellent and to be followed, but hardly demanding devotion. — Brother Andrew

He who is the servant of all is their true master. He never becomes a leader in whose love there is a consideration of high or low. He whose love knows no end and never stops to consider high or low has the whole world lying at his feet. — Swami Vivekananda

Anyone who wants to be a leader must be the servant, not the boss, of those he wants to serve. — Aminu Kano

Throughout his many years, he enriched the lives of countless others and served as a model of generosity and discipline to those he met, fostering an atmosphere of compassion, harmony, and unity. Sri Chinmoy was a leader, humanitarian, artist, athlete, and public servant who will be sorely missed. His legacy of kindness, reflection, and resolve will endure for many years to come. — William J. Clinton

We are all bound to work in the vineyard where God is the husbandman. We have all been given our little vineyard, but the way in which we cultivate it is of great importance for the prosperity of our neighbour's vineyard ... In fact all our vineyards are a part of the Lord's great vineyard, the Holy Church, and we are all bound to work here too. — Sigrid Undset

As a servant leader the way you serve the vision is by developing people so that they can work on that vision even when you're not around. The ultimate sin of an effective servant leader is what happens when you are not there. That was the power of Jesus' leadership-the leaders He trained went on to change the world when He was no longer with them in bodily form. — Ken Blanchard

Integrity is a powerful force, keeping you alive to others long after you've left their presence. — Mollie Marti

Nowadays everybody wants to become a leader. No one wants to become a servant. In reality, the world is badly in need of servants, not leaders. A real servant is a real leader. — Mata Amritanandamayi

Moral authority is another way to define servant leadership because it represents a reciprocal choice between leader and follower. If the leader is principle centered, he or she will develop moral authority. If the follower is principle centered, he or she will follow the leader. In this sense, both leaders and followers are followers. Why? They follow truth. They follow natural law. They follow principles. They follow a common, agreed-upon vision. They share values. They grow to trust one another. — Robert K. Greenleaf

ATTITUDE 1: FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE ATTITUDE 2: REQUIRE AGREEMENT ATTITUDE 3: SOW ONLY GOOD SEED ATTITUDE 4: BE A SERVANT-LEADER ATTITUDE 5: DELEGATE AND EMPOWER ATTITUDE 6: WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN ATTITUDE 7: BE SLOW TO JUDGE ATTITUDE 8: BE FAIR IN DISCIPLINE ATTITUDE 9: MAINTAIN PERSPECTIVE ATTITUDE 10: OBSERVE A SABBATH REST ATTITUDE 11: HAVE A VISION ATTITUDE 12: NURTURE JOY ATTITUDE 13: MIND THE SEASONS ATTITUDE 14: BE VIGILANT — William C. Oakes

The Husband Manifesto:

I will be a better father.
I will be a better husband.
I will be a better leader.
I will be a better servant.
I will be a better man.

I will esteem my wife in front of my friends.
I will praise my wife before my family.
I will honor my wife as I honor my mother.
I will put a smile on her every day.
I will plant a kiss on her each day.
I will listen to her even when I don't feel like it.
I will love her even when I don't feel like it.
I will treat her better than I treat myself.
I will treat her as God would. — Matshona Dhliwayo

Be a Strong Leader, Even If You Follow a Weak Leader — Miles Anthony Smith