Service Leadership
February 4, 2008
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I was talking to a group of people the other day who volunteer precious time in a social justice oriented organization in San Francisco. They are leaders in that organization who all faced a similar problem. They have worked hard, feel burned out right now and ask for help to lighten their load. A very reasonable request indeed.
Nevertheless, they all had a similar problem. Nobody responded to their request for help. When I spoke with them about this, all three of them expressed frustration with the others in the organization, complaining that nobody would step up. Upon further discussion they expressed a similar sentiment. They were not interested in leading, only in serving.
That is a false contradiction. We associate leadership with being in front, in sight, status and titles. Somehow, leadership is selfish and intended to gain something for oneself. But what if we see leadership as a service? That will change the way in which we exercise leadership. Here are some ideas to put service leadership in practice. These are some initial ideas, and I am curious to see what other ideas you might have.
About asking for help. This is a hard task indeed. One thing I know. Don’t ask for help when you are burned out. Just think of what you are expressing: “I am burned out, please help.” And anyone receiving that message is not only filled with compassion for your plight, but also with fear that they will be next. You are burned out now, if I step in, will I be next?
Ask for help well before you need it. Think about it. As an effective leader, it is not primarily your job to get the work done. It is your job to make sure that someone does the job. So rather than stepping in and doing everything yourself (in accord with that well known complaint), find ever more clever ways to let people know what is needed
Learn to delegate. Delegation is hard, don’t be fooled. You cannot simply hand a project or program to someone. You have to be very explicit about the precise tasks. What is involved? How much time does it take? What steps are required to get the job done? Who can I rely on to step in when I have to bow out, get sick, have to take my kid to the doctor? What are the resources that are available?
In other words, you have to define the job well and put strong boundaries around it, so that people are clear and feel confident that they are signing on to a task that they can manage.
And when they do, they deserve the praise. That is the part of service leadership you cannot forget. When you are the leader, you should be praised very little. All praise should go to those who you have encouraged to do the work. And you should be the first to praise them.
As a service leader, your service is not in carrying out any program, but in empowering others to take charge. You make things happen by offering others the opportunity to be of service. If you have overcome the need to be the one who serves, you can become a leader, in service of those who do the actual work.
“Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be the first my be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).
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