Empowering The People Above You

Empowering the People above You

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:26-28

Leadership isn’t always about having the right answer or about telling others what to do. As a matter of fact, leadership is not about either of those things—there are plenty of smart, aggressive people who are very poor leaders. Instead, leadership—particularly the kind of leadership Christ exemplified and calls us to—is all about serving others. It’s about helping them become better at whatever we are leading them in and helping them ultimately fulfill their potential in whatever setting they find themselves.

Mentor leadership calls us to focus on a point outside ourselves, because such leadership must be others directed and others inspired. It’s not always easy, and it’s certainly not our natural tendency. Mentor leadership runs contrary to the prevailing wisdom of the world, which focuses on personal success, achievement, and advancement.

We have all seen organizational flowcharts with the primary leader at the top and everyone else in the department or company flowing down from there. Mentor leadership flowcharts invert standard organizational charts. The leader appears at the bottom of the chart, serving and lifting those above, modeling servanthood to all. The emphasis is not on the leader but is focused on those the mentor leader leads. Our world insists on “looking out for number one.” Mentor leaders do not follow that directive. Instead, they look out for others.

When I was coaching, I never asked anyone to do anything that I wasn’t willing to do. I always made sure to clearly cast and keep the vision of where we were going and the mission of how we were going to get there before the team. And I provided the resources the other coaches and players needed to get there.

But most important, I did everything I could to let them know I was there to serve them.

Uncommon Key > How can you implement a mentor leadership approach in your life? The example of leadership is clear—“I came to serve and not to be served.” Why would you think you should do it differently?