Introduction
Servant leadership is not a new type of leadership, nor did contemporaries invent it. On the contrary, the first servant leaders showed themselves bright and successful personalities who changed the world even before Jesus Christ came to earth. And, of course, the Messiah himself was the clearest example of the servant leader. However, when intending to apply the characteristic concepts of servant leadership, one must distinguish between servant leadership as presented and understood in the Bible or Biblical Servant Leadership (BSL) and the purely academic and business perceptions of Servant Leadership (SL).
One of the main differences between the two approaches is the naturalistic framework and focus on followers rather than the organization, which is characteristic of SL. At the same time, BSL has two aspects of serving God in the first place and then serving the followers – disciples in the case of Jesus, parishioners in the case of ministers, and Gentiles, in the case of commissioners. This paper aims to analyze, synthesize, and discuss in detail the biblical and secular concepts of Servant Leadership, using the path of Jesus Christ as an outstanding example of this type of leadership.
Events from the Passage in their Historical Context
The Gospel of John contains one passage that is not found in the Gospel of the other apostles. Perhaps John gives a detailed description of the scene since he was the beloved disciple of Christ and, best of all, felt that which lay at the very heart of the message presented in the passage John 13: 3-17. This chapter describes a part of the Last Supper when Jesus already knew that one of the disciples would betray him and realized that his last hour was near. Saddened by this news, Jesus held a farewell supper with his disciples and gave them the last and most important commandment. Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another, carry the truth of his message, and support one another on this difficult path.
Passage John 13: 3-17 describes the famous scene of Jesus washing the feet of his disciple Peter. Peter protested, noting that the Master should not wash his feet, but Jesus replied that this is the only way he shows that Peter is attached to him. Peter was utterly bewildered, and Jesus explained his action to his disciples. He said that he washed his disciple’s feet to set an example of behavior for his disciples, who should henceforth love each other, think about each other’s needs, and literally or metaphorically wash each other’s feet. Jesus also said that he did not have much time left to be among the disciples and that the messengers are disciples, no more important than the message – Jesus, and whoever accepts Jesus accepts his father, and whoever accepts disciples accepts Jesus.
It is noteworthy that the described chapter strongly echoes the first commandment: to love God and then to love your neighbor as yourself. This chapter finds a response in the parable, where Jesus explains that whoever among the disciples will strive to become the first among others, let him be the last, and serve the rest. In general, there are enough passages in the Bible where Jesus Christ reminds his disciples of modesty, faith, and submission to God or the highest truth, which is love. For example, when Jesus Christ tells his disciples to discover the truth that he brings and that will set them free, he probably means the truth about love for God and a neighbor.
Love for one’s neighbor certainly does not carry elements of leadership, but it is an essential component of any leadership style, especially for servant leadership. In a historical context, the act of Jesus Christ during the Last Supper can be understood as a challenge to the cruel traditions of the era when Christ came to earth. Jesus said that the pagans consider those who want to be the first to be the main ones, but by his example, he explained that the essence of the message is more important than the one who carries this message. In other words, the path a leader takes for his followers is more important than the leader’s personality. Therefore, the role model of Christ in the context of the era can be viewed, firstly, as a rejection of selfishness, secondly, as the desire to be a simultaneous leader and servant of God, and thirdly, as any relationship should strive for equality since it should be spiritualized by the unifying principle Universal love or love for God.
Leadership Models and Relevant Leadership Principles in the Passage
Passage John 13: 3-17 introduces mixed models of servant leadership and visionary leadership. When Christ speaks of the message, he acts as a visionary leader who instructs his disciples to spread his message after he leaves the earth. At the same time, Christ commands his disciples to combine visionary leadership with servant leadership and always remember to love their neighbor and be modest in front of God the Father. Jesus directly says that the disciples should follow his example and how he washed Peter’s feet would wash each other’s feet, which the disciples do after this request. Jesus explicitly calls himself a role model and directly inspires and motivates his disciples, which can be attributed to transformational leadership characteristics.
Remarkably, elements of servant leadership presented in the passage imply that disciples will rely on certain leadership principles. First, they should not put themselves above others – friends, enemies, family, and even those who persecute them. Secondly, disciples should, first of all, be mindful of the interests of their neighbors and always focus on meeting each other’s needs, supporting each other, and loving each other. Third, disciples should not forget about the purpose of their leadership, about the essence of their message. In other words, they, like Christ, must by their behavior embody and demonstrate the principles of higher love, which are one of the main aspects of the message.
Then, since the passage also deals with betrayal, the disciples should not betray each other. At the same time, if a betrayal happens, they should not condemn the guilty person but forgive and follow their path, focusing on the purpose and form of the message and realizing the path through serving each other and other people. In academic language, disciples should follow the principles of modesty, honesty, not condemning or judging others, being active and purposeful, being persistent in their path, not betraying themselves and their path, and not obstructing others. They should show active compassion by helping each other and being open to the feelings of others and everything that happens in the world.
Critical Implications for Contemporary Leadership Challenges
Interestingly, Blackaby (2001) in Spiritual Leadership, mentions the necessity for the leaders in secular spheres to “fulfill their God-given destiny to impact their world” (p. 27). The scholar notes the particularly important aspects and challenges of leadership – scheduling, change management, team building, decision making, communication, followership, and influence. Throughout the book, Blackaby (2001) demonstrates that using BSL in the realms of SL is possible and even necessary since the BSL provides an extended foundation for the SL style practical implementation. Notably, the BSL presents the fundamental implications for the contemporary SL challenges. These are implications concerning humility, honesty, neighborliness, perseverance, and active compassion.
Howell (2003), in Servants of the Servant, goes even further and discovers the profiles of eighteen biblical figures whose skills and behavior prove that they can be role models for contemporary leaders. Howell (2003) emphasizes the differences between SL and BSL and advocates the idea that BSL represents a richer field to follow and more quality strategies than secular SL. Interestingly, since Howell (2003) describes leadership in terms of kingdom-centered leaders, he sets the stage for a discourse about the historical value of BSL. He presents ancient rulers who were also political or social leaders, such as Moses and David, or Paul and Jesus, who truly irreversibly changed lives and gave direction to the crowds.
These examples allow us to see again the value of servant leadership, which easily copes with the challenges of the most difficult life problems, as it calls for responding to pain and suffering – own, neighbors’, or of an organization – with a bright willingness to overcome obstacles and spread love. Equally important, Howell (2003) highlights new differences between SL and BSL by pointing out that BSL leaders have a moral character, passionate God-centered motive, and divinely concentrated agenda, which allows them to implement God’s dynamic plan.
Blanchard & Hodges (2008) in Lead like Jesus also creates a bridge between BSL and SL by offering biblical solutions to secular problems. Specifically, scholars advise modern leaders to overcome selfishness in the form of self-absorption, self-promotion, and self-protection by following Jesus’ model. This model implies that a disciple should have an altruistic heart, a purpose-driven head, and an engaging set of hands to form the habits of a servant leading like Jesus. In this book, the authors recommend borrowing the value of love that lives in the heart of a leader from the BSL to SL leadership strategy. Even more interestingly, Blanchard & Hodges (2008) propose a strategy for different types of followers – apprentices, journeymen, and masters.
Nouwen (2002), in In the Name of Jesus, continues the tradition of uniting the secular and biblical foundations of leadership and advises leaders who have chosen the biblical path. The scholar explains how to deal with three temptations of being relevant, spectacular, and powerful, presenting cures of contemplative prayer, confessions, and forgiveness and choosing to be led by God and loving God rather than being God. Wilkes (2011), in Jesus on Leadership presents seven principles for servant leaders: learning to be humble, being Jesus ‘follower, understanding Jesus’ style of greatness, taking risks like Jesus, leading as servants, equipping others for service, and building a team.
Practical Relevance to Leadership Today
The principles of BSL presented above are highly relevant for contemporary leaders. Some scholarly research will be presented to prove it using the examples from John 13: 3-17 and other books discussed. Megheirkouni and Mejheirkouni (2020) emphasize that modern leadership styles need to be prioritized, given the growing trend of such issues as “sexual scandals, unethical behaviors, individualism, crises and a low level of performance or productivity” (p. 97). These challenges are caused by selfishness and various psychological distortions that prevail in society. As Blanchard & Hodges (2008) have shown, ego problems can be successfully addressed by applying the style of secular SL or BSL. Nixon (2021) explored how servant leadership can overcome ethical impairments in intercollegiate and inter-school athletics by introducing behavioral integrity to build trust and interpersonal relationships.
Interestingly, some authors associate other leadership styles, such as personal leadership and teacher leadership, with servant leadership. Bell & Hewitt (2020) found a link between personal leadership, which can be seen as leading by example, and four aspects associated with servant leadership, namely “emotional healing, wisdom, persuasive mapping and organizational stewardship” (p. 11). Crippen & Willows (2020) drew parallels between teacher and servant leadership, naming the similar competencies of listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, foresight, stewardship, commitment to growth, and community building.
Conclusion
Thus, the biblical and secular concepts of Servant Leadership were analyzed, synthesized, and discussed in detail using the path of Jesus Christ as an outstanding example of this type of leadership. The passage from John 13: 3-17 is a good example of how Jesus led while being a servant to God and his disciples. Jesus brings the disciples such important principles of servant leadership as humility, honesty, perseverance, loyalty to principles, the vision of purpose, and commitment to the principle of divine and human love. These principles, which ultimately shape the character of servant leadership, are sufficient to overcome any leadership challenges that exist in today’s world. Notably, authors who study BSL and SL create bridges between biblical and secular concepts so that leaders can use centuries of experience of biblical servant leaders as guidance in their daily life and leadership practice. The principles of BSL and SL are relevant to today’s leaders in all walks of life, including education, sports, business, banking, and other areas.
References
Bell, C., & Hewitt, L. M. (2021). Personal leadership as an antecedent of servant leadership amongst bank managers in South Africa. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 19, 11.
Blackaby, H. T. & Richard. (2001). Spiritual leadership: Moving people on to God’s agenda. B & H Publishing Group.
Blanchard, K. & Hodges, P. (2008). Lead like Jesus. W Publishing Group.
Crippen, C., & Willows, J. (2019). Connecting teacher leadership and servant leadership: A synergistic partnership. Journal of Leadership Education, 18(2), 171-178. DOI: 10.12806/V18/I2/T4
Howell, D. N. Jr. (2003). Servants of the servant: A biblical theology of leadership. WIPF & STOCK Publishers.
Megheirkouni, M., & Mejheirkouni, A. (2020). Leadership development trends and challenges in the twenty-first century: rethinking the priorities. Journal of Management Development, 39(1), 97-124.
Nixon, B. W. L. (2021). Servant leadership: Navigating the ethical challenges in athletics. Strategies, 34(4), 34-37.
Nouwen, H. J. M. (2002) In the name of Jesus. Crossroads Publishing.
Wilkes, G. (2011) Jesus on leadership: Developing servant leaders. Tyndale.