Homeschoolers as Servant Leaders

I never wanted to be a leader. I simply liked helping other homeschoolers and promoting an awareness of homeschooling among the general public. Next thing I knew, I was asked to head a local homeschool group! Suddenly I found myself taking on the responsibility of leadership.

If you look in a dictionary, you will see that the first definition of “to lead” means “to show the way,” “to guide,” “to direct someone toward a goal.” This implies making the way easier or helping to bring about a successful result, not through forceful coercion but by being an encouraging influence. Thus, I looked upon my position as being more of a facilitator among peers rather than the head person in charge. Later, I found out that this is what is meant by the term “servant leader.”

The term “servant leadership” comes from the writings of Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-1990), an American essayist in the tradition of Emerson. Back in 1970, he wrote a short essay entitled The Servant as Leader, in which he described servant leadership like this: “It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant – first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served.”

Of course, long before Greenleaf coined the term, the concept of servant leadership was demonstrated in the Bible. According to the biblical model, one first serves God, and from that motivation one proceeds to serve others. While the idea of leader as servant has roots in the Old Testament, it was Jesus Christ who said: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” (Mark 9:33–35)

Characteristics of Servant Leaders

Calling - Servant leaders feel called to use leadership as a means to help others rather than as a way to gain personal power or prestige.

Vision - Servant leaders are creative thinkers, open to a world of possibilities. They encourage others to think out of the box, dream big dreams, and reach lofty goals.

Stewardship - Servant leaders have a natural sense of stewardship, which is the careful and responsible management of the resources entrusted to one’s care.

Awareness - Servant leaders are in tune with the environment and have a keen sense for knowing what is going on around them, as well as being able to anticipate and prepare for the future.

Empathy - Servant leaders have an instinctive ability to understand and empathize with others’ circumstances and problems. This includes a willingness to sacrifice self-interests for the sake of others.

Listening - Servant leaders are excellent listeners. They are generally interested in and value what other people have to say.

Growth - Servant leaders are committed to enabling people to become the best they can be – professionally, personally, and spiritually. At the same time, the servant leader is learning from those he leads.

Persuasion - Servant leaders convince others to do things through the powers of persuasion rather than relying on force or formal authority.

Equality - A servant leader does not consider himself above those he leads, nor does he believe that the leader is better than the followers. The servant leader shares burdens and benefits equally with the people that he or she serves.

Community - Servant leaders have a strong sense of team spirit and believe that an organization should function like a close-knit community while allowing everyone to do what they do best.

Are You A Servant Leader?