Running Head: Theology of Servant Leadership

Theology of Servant Leadership

Caitlin Leffingwell
Eastern University

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Abstract
As a follower of Jesus, I base my beliefs about God on Scripture and seek to live out
these beliefs in every aspect of my lifeincluding my approach to servant leadership. My faith
is a fundamental part of who I am and, like me, a work in progress. Yet even as I continue to
wrestle with different aspects of who God is and how I can best follow Him, I find myself
reminded again and again of three core truths: God is the sovereign Creator; humans are both
inherently precious and sinfully fallen; and Jesus Christ redeemed us all from sin by enacting
grace and justice in his death on the cross. These core beliefs profoundly affect both my
definition and demonstration of servant leadership, which I seek to express in this paper
primarily through a discussion of class readings, the Bible, and my own life experiences. In
many ways, this analysis only captures a single moment in time, but it has already proven to be a
useful tool for measuring future growth and magnifying my awareness of the practical theology
that underlies servant leadership.
Introduction
Almost seven years ago, my life changed completely. The previous eighteen years had
involved living in a loving Christian family, attending church every Sunday, receiving most of
my education from Christian schools, and claiming a nominal faith that fluctuated from bitterly
resentful to dismissively passive. Yet in a moment of deep desperation, the Truth in what I had
been taught and claimed to believe suddenly became unavoidably clear in a way that literally
saved my life. For the first time, I began to see how desperately I needed closeness with my
Creator and how far my sin had separated me from Him. Most importantly, I began to see how
perfectly Jesus met that need and how relentlessly God pursued me even in my brokenness.
These realizations gave me a hope that started with the promise of a glorious eternal life and
extended to the gift of a beautifully purposeful life on earth. Since then, my relationship with

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Jesus has continued to deepen, and this desire to live in step with my Savior has become the
foundation of every part of my lifeincluding, of course, my view of servant leadership. After
presenting a foundational definition of this leadership style, this paper will use a combination of
Scripture and class readings to unpack how three of my core beliefs determine how I define and
demonstrate the nuanced aspects of this unique form of leadership.
Servant Leadership: A Core Definition
Although entering the academic conversation just 40 years ago via Greenleafs visionary
work, servant leadership has certainly stirred quite the discussion in a wide variety of fields.
Many authors grapple with its paradoxical nature from various points of viewall trying to sort
out the complexity inherent to juxtaposing the seemingly conflicting roles of leadership and
service. As Northouse (2013) explains, servant leadership emphasizes that leaders be attentive
to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them. Servant leaders put
followers first, empower them, and help them develop their full personal capacities (p.219).
Autry (2001) builds upon these traits from a business perspective by noting several ways of
being that ultimately result in a leader who serves rather than one who expects to be served
(p.8), while Sims (2005) writes that Servant leadership defines success as giving, and measures
achievement by devotion to serving. Winning becomes the creation of community through
collaboration, rather than the conquest of others by competition or crushing military superiority
(p.13). My understanding of these components and the discussions surrounding them leads me to
believe that servant leadership can be defined as an approach in which leaders seek to better the
world by selflessly fostering personal growth in their followers. From this general foundation
then spills a seemingly endless fountain of nuances regarding how servant leadership is actually
put into practice. As such, each of the following three sections will delve deeper into these
nuances as they relate to my faith in God.

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Core Belief #1: God is Sovereign Creator

Starting with the claim that In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth
(Genesis 1:1, New International Version), all of Scripture reiterates that this authority as Creator
extends over all creation and throughout all time, such that nothing is outside of His sovereign
control or beyond His careful attention. In one such passage, the prophet Isaiah exhorts his
listeners: Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the
starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty
strength, not one of them is missing (Isaiah 40:26, NIV); just a few verses earlier, he also writes
that He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close
to his heart; he gently leads those that have young (Isaiah 40:11, NIV). Such attentive
sovereignty assures me that every aspect of lifefrom the most difficult situation to the most
inconsequential momenthas deep meaning for which I am both called and equipped. His
purposeful calling frees me from self-doubt, while His careful provision frees me from selfglorification. This freedom from self then allows me to act out servant leadership by focusing
with humble confidence on those I am serving and leading.
Although numerous Biblical passages speak to the connection between selfless leadership
and belief in Gods sovereignty, one of my absolute favorites is the story of Joseph. Marked by
dramatic twists and turns, his life included everything from parental favoritism to slavery in
Egypt, career advancement to false accusations, lengthy imprisonment to ruling a nation. Yet the
Bible clearly emphasizes Gods attention to detail throughout every shift, as He guided and
equipped Joseph even in the most desperate situationsa sovereign involvement that gave every
up and down a larger purpose. This purpose, calling, and equipping prompted Joseph to offer his
God-given gifts both humbly and boldly to those around him, which ultimately led to leadership
roles that greatly improvedeven savedthe lives of those he served; selfless reliance on God

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allowed him to aid not only the nation where he had been enslaved and imprisoned, but also the
brothers whose resentment had led him there. Even his reunion with them began with an
encouraging recognition of Gods sovereign goodness: And now, do not be distressed and do
not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me
ahead of youSo then, it was not you who sent me here, but God (Genesis 45:5, 8). Clearly,
Joseph was both servant and leader whose belief in Gods sovereign goodness led him to focus
not on himself but on bettering the lives of people placed in his care.
Like Joseph, I want to be so trusting of Gods great sovereignty that I serve those around
me with humble confidencebasing my sense of worth on His calling and provision rather than
the opinions of others. Like Autry (2001) notes, I believe that leadership is a calling (p.xv) that is
best pursued by being authentic, vulnerable, accepting, present, and useful (pp.11-21). To me,
these ways of being stem from the freedom that comes from resting in Gods sovereignty,
which releases me from the need to build up myself and allows me to wholeheartedly build up
those around me. In contrast, losing sight of this sovereignty leads me to act out of fearful
insecurity and ultimately hinders my ability to serve anyones best interest. I find myself
particularly tempted to protect my pride through slander, boasts, lies, and withdrawal when
working in low positions on the societal totem pole, such as my job as a demo specialist at
Whole Foods. This distinct service role also contrasts starkly with my reserved personality, such
that I find great comfort against the negative effects of insecurity and inadequacy in the belief
that God has called me there for a purpose and equipped me perfectly for that purpose. Trusting
His sovereignty helps me to serve customers and coworkers alike by embodying Autrys five
ways of being with humble confidence (2001, p.9).
Core Belief #2: Humans are Inherently Valued and Naturally Sinful

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While characterizing God as sovereign Creator, the Bible also ascribes both inherent
worth and deep sin to humans. Genesis 1:27-31 (NIV) says that God created mankind in his
own image and charged them with caring for the rest of creationcalling this special part of
His work very good. For a short time, Adam and Eve were even able to live intimately close to
their perfect God while enjoying the Garden of Eden. Yet the gift of free choice also allowed
them to place themselves and other idols before their Creator, which led to sin and a world where
there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have
together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:11-12,
NIV). Awareness of this dual reality, in which peoplemyself includedhave inherent worth as
Gods creation but are also broken by sin, drives me to prioritize those I am serving by ultimately
helping them become more like who they were created to be. This priority means personally
cultivating servant leadership characteristics like listening, empathy, healing, and awareness
(Northouse, 2013, pp.221-223), but it also means imparting these characteristics to my followers
in such a way that they become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, [and] more likely
themselves to become servants (Greenleaf, 1970, p.15).
The apostle Paul exemplifies this aspect of servant leadership by not only speaking to the
sinfulness and goodness inherent to mankind, but also striving to claim as much of that goodness
as possible for those he served. His missionthe ultimate goal for which he sacrificed
everything from worldly assets to his very lifewas to know Jesus (Philippians 3:10, NIV) and
to make Jesus known to the world (Philippians 2:21-26, NIV). In recognition of his own
imperfections and the fact that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ (v.18), Paul
determined to press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me (v.12) and
exhorted his readers to follow his example through the redemptive power of their Savior

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(Philippians 3). This understanding of human sin and value helped Paul impart hope to the early
church so effectively that it has continued to spread throughout the world ever since.
Although I find myself wrestling with Pauls methods at times, I desperately want to
emulate his selfless and wholehearted desire to know Jesus and to make him known. Often
overwhelmed by awareness of universal sin and its devastating consequences, I nonetheless
believe that God has ascribed such loving value to mankind that He made a way for us to make
this world as it should be through the power of His Son. This first and foremost means that I
must view both problems and joys as an inward issue, such that I work to address my own
sinfulness and join those who accept the world as it is, part good, part bad, and who identify
with the good by adding a little island of serenity to it (Greenleaf, 1970, p.25). Bettering the
world also requires seeingand calling outthe goodness in myself and in those around me. In
my work tutoring students who have been expelled from high school, this balance between
acknowledging their inappropriate behavior and recognizing their value is exceptionally
important. To ignore destructive actions would be a disservice to them, but to treat them as just
hopeless bad kids would do even greater damage. As such, I walk into work every day praying
that God would help me serve these students well by humbly addressing their problem behaviors
and continuously reminding them of their value and potentialthereby leading them to live it
out in more and more ways.
Core Belief #3: Jesus Redeemed the World through Grace and Justice
Much like the paradox of servant leadership, the fact that God is both just and full of
grace can in many ways baffle the mind. Yet Scripture is rich with descriptions like that in
Exodus 34:6-7, in which God declares that He is The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and
gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands,
and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he

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punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth
generation (NIV). In fact, this mysterious juxtaposition culminates in Jesus, whose obedient
death enabled usall sinnersto enjoy a perfect relationship with our Creator by fully paying
the price owed for our sins. Paul describes such grace and justice by explaining that all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus [H]e did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the
present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (Romans
3:23-24, 26, NIV). Demonstrated so powerfully by Jesus, such a beautiful combination is Gods
chosen method of redeeming the world and quite the display of servant leadership, considering
that it also centers on the personal growth of followers, healthy organizational performance, and
societal impact (Northouse, 2013, pp. 230-231).
If God seeks these goals for the universe through this particular strategy, I certainly desire
to follow Jesus example by learning how to balance justice and grace with every opportunity as
well. This goal remains particularly relevant (and challenging) when teaching violin students
from a very rough school in Hartford. In such a challenging environment, any unchecked selfish
instincts often cause either defensive rigidity or ingratiating tolerance, such that I vacillate
between gaining control through unnecessary harshness and disregarding negative behaviors to
become more liked. However, this inconsistency leads to disaster by weakening my relationships
with students, and I am learning to express and enforce healthy boundaries through appropriate
consequences, while ultimately providing room for growth through an abundance of
unconditional and undeserved favor. Because the Gospel displays obedience as a byproduct of
love and not the other way around, I believe wholeheartedly that my students will learn to make
better decisions by first understanding my gracious love for them, rather than having to earn such
favor entirely by following the rules.

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Conclusion
Much like my faith in God, my understanding of servant leadership and its practical
implications for my life are still very much a work in progress. In fact, only upon writing this
paper did I recognize the leadership roles inherent to what previously seemed like autonomous,
service-oriented positions. Whether interacting with challenging students or grocery store
customers, these moments all involve relationships with people, and as Autry (2001) so wisely
notes, it is ultimately how you are with those people that makes all the difference in whether or
not your spirituality finds an expression within the context of your work, [because] what you
do at work is a direct reflection of how you are (p.9). Because of my belief in a sovereign
Creator whose love for sinful humankind led Him to fulfill justice through grace, I want to serve
those around me with humble confidence and grace-filled justiceultimately leading us all
closer toward the lives of hope that God made possible through faith in Jesus. Much like the
Biblical examples of Joseph, Paul, and Jesus, such servant leadership starts with service and
unfolds into an assumed leadership role that prioritizes the growth of those around me, leads to a
better world, and is always grounded firmly in my identity as an adopted daughter of God.

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References
Sims, B. (2005). Servanthood: Leadership for the new millennium. Eugene or Wipf and Stock.
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sixth Edition. Sage Publications. New
Delhi.
Autry, J. (2001). The servant leader: How to build a creative team, develop great morale, and
improve bottom-line performance
Greenleaf, R. (1970). The servant as leader. The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.
Westfield, IN.