On the Leader Fluent Podcast, we're in a series on my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life and leadership. The book is now available on Amazon, Kindle, and other retailers. On today's episode, you'll get a taste of my chapter on, "How to Be a Servant Leader." Be sure to order Insanely Practical Leadership today, and check out the Masterclass as well as the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.
Booker T. Washington was the first principle of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, where he advocated for emancipated slaves and higher education for African Americans. Well, shortly after stepping into his role, Washington was walking by the home of a wealthy family when the lady of the house came outside and asked him to chop some wood. So, Washington rolled up his sleeves, chopped the wood, brought it into the house, and stacked the logs by the fireplace.
Later that day, a young girl told the wealthy woman that Washington was the principle of the Tuskegee Institute. When the woman heard this, she was embarrassed by her request and went to see Washington in his office the next morning. When she walked into his office, the woman apologized profusely. But Washington simply replied “It’s perfectly all right, Madam. Occasionally I enjoy a little manual labor. Besides, it’s always a delight to do something for a friend.”
The woman shook his hand and left his office, but she didn’t forget Washington’s gracious kindness. Instead, she persuaded her friends to join her in generously donating thousands of dollars to the Institute.
Booker T. Washington could have reminded this wealthy woman of his title and position. Instead, he chose the high road of servant leadership. So, what does a servant leader look like? Well, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus contrasts the leadership of the Pharisees with that of servant leaders. And from his teaching, we discover seven choices we must make to become servant leaders.
1. Choose INTEGRITY Over DUPLICITY
The Pharisees were a religious group of leaders who came up with 613 laws they expected everyone to follow. The problem was, the Pharisees didn’t practice what they preached.
That’s why Jesus said, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach” (Matthew 23:2-3).
Simply put, these religious leaders were masters in duplicity, and as a result, leadership became nothing more than a stage to act like somebody they weren’t. A duplicitous leader is double-minded, but a servant leader leads with integrity.
2. Choose PEOPLE Over POWER
Jesus continued his description of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:4 when he said, “They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” These leaders put power before people. They used their man-made rules like whips to beat people into submission.
But Jesus had a different approach. In fact, He once told his disciples, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant” (Matthew 20:25-26 MSG)
3. Choose SILENCE Over SHOW
The Pharisees constantly tried to project an image of importance. In Matthew 23:5, Jesus said, “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.”
But instead of “Show,” Jesus chose “Silence.” In fact, when he healed a deaf man and a man with leprosy, he told both of them not to tell anyone. Why? Because at its core,