The Tribe Gathering

The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first.

- Robert K. Greenleaf

Servant leadership is a topic dear to my heart. It’s my purpose. And due to the passion I have for servant leadership, I feel as though it’s not given its deserved attention and/or executed properly. Many of the systems of leadership I’ve seen and heard don’t quite dig deep enough into heart, mind, soul, and purpose when it comes to a leader serving. The picture above sums up my philosophy so succinctly. The saying a picture is worth a thousand words is held so true here. Look at this picture of a Tay woman. The Tay are a large ethnic group that lives primarily in Northern Vietnam.

She is bearing not just the burden of carrying water, but also protecting a child. Read between the lines a bit and let’s analyze all of the elements we see. The water: It’s vital. It literally gives life. She has taken on the responsibility of carrying the water alone. There’s no one else pictured. She has carried this child to the place where she collects water, who knows how far that trek was. She now is carrying the water to another location so that someone else doesn’t have to. She’s doing this presumably for someone other than just herself. She’s also doing it for the child who’s not old enough, mature enough, or strong enough to carry it. The child: One doesn’t have to wonder if this child is loved and neither does he. His mother carries him though he appears big enough to walk on his own. Is he perhaps her only child? He’s her life beyond her own existence. This child may be the sole carrier of the lineage of his family, but that’s not all he’s carrying. The water she’s walking through: I’m no geography expert, but in Vietnam where the Tay people abide, the presence of venomous snakes and crocodiles is a common occurrence. This mother braves the dangers of the water she’s walking in to carry water and her future in her arms and hands. She’s not exempt from attack, fatigue, pain, or dehydration. The burden is so evident on her face and body language, but from the looks of it, this isn’t her first rodeo.

This is servant leadership. You carry the future of our actual existence as loving and caring human beings. You have the ability to nurture and cultivate the psychological, emotional, and sometimes physical growth of the people you lead. The manner in which people actually view humanity and their ability to also help and serve others is in your hands to mold every day. Another person’s thoughts & emotions can live and breathe on your words and actions in relation to them. You help carry the burdens of others even though they are able to walk alone. You refuse to let them traverse the dangers and anxieties around them without your support. And you do so while managing your own life’s obstacles and troubles. You carry them and their water. The real question that separates true servant leadership from other well-meaning attempts and systems is simple… What is your WHY? Below is a list of challenges with accomplishing servant leadership that I’d like to present by covering each of these topics over the next few weeks to analyze both how and why being a true servant leader can be so difficult to execute, how we get it wrong, and how we can get back on the path to serving others.

• Proposed variations that mean well: Transformational Leadership

• Overly systematic approaches

• Sincerity without follow through = totally missing the mark

• Not caring enough to consider a.k.a please don’t attempt to lead people and maybe think about retirement.

Well-meaning attempts: The “buzzword” in leadership currently is transformational leadership. Here’s the issue I take with that philosophy. What I’ve seen from some of its practitioners as I follow and dig, is honestly not enough for me. It seems to be too systematic in the application and leaves much to be desired in way of “transformation.” This is where I tilt my head and ask the question, “If the desired intent is to transform, then why are the practical application steps aimed at temporary outcomes?”

For me, this is no more transformational than “transactional leadership.” You give me this and I’ll get you that. I’ll do something for you if you change this behavior or behave in this manner and you’ll be in compliance. I want you to transform your behavior now, but once you’re “out of sight” you can do as you please. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these 4 issues I’ve identified before I begin to dive into them next week. Please email me at [email protected] and let me know your thoughts on those topics and this subject overall. Also, check out our YouTube channel and subscribe

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