Tone Deaf Leadership versus Servant Leadership

 A few months ago, I began to write down some thoughts about leadership, but they were not thoughts about good leadership. I decided to list a few characteristics that might identify the "tone deaf" leader. You can find the list below. Please feel free to add to it as needed.

Tone deaf leadership . . . 

1)  . . . thinks it knows the people it leads, when in reality it only knows a caricature of those people. 

2) . . . pretends to "belong" to the people while really keeping a safe "distance" from them.

3) . . . enjoys the perks and prestige of the position, enjoys acknowledgement and acclaim, but fails to identify with the lowest of the low or the humble people. This leader wants the "best" but refuses to identify with the "least."

4) . . . offers a message that is "emotional" in content while lacking intellectual context or perspective.

5) . . . pretends to be a great communicator while utilizing simple catchphrases or pithy emotional slogans instead of topics of substance. 

6) . . . talks in ambiguous terms and tries to make people think he is a "prophet" or a stellar intellect while simply saying what will gain the most attention or the largest audience. 

7) . . . desires attention and focuses on gaining an audience or attention without giving concerns to consistency or the needs of others. 

8) . . . tends to be idle--comfort and success are more important than anything else including the people he claims to "serve." 

I'm sure that there are more, but these are the characteristics I wrote down. For comparison and contrast, look at Jesus' standard of leadership as revealed in Philippians 2 by Paul. The materials in verses 1-8 of this chapter reveal the actions and heart of a servant leader. 

The servant leader . . . 

1) . . . strives for unity and has the purpose of helping others be more like Jesus. 

2) . . . does not lead out of selfish ambition or conceit. 

3) . . . in humility considers others as more important than himself. 

4) . . . does not look out only for his own interest but is concerned for the benefit and success of others. 

5) . . . obeys God even if it is costly to him personally. 

6) . . . does not think too highly of his own gifts or abilities, but sees gifts as an opportunity to equip others to succeed. 

7) . . . does not see "power" or "prestige" as the goal of leadership, but rather sees service and humility as necessary. 

8) . . . desires to see the people he serves succeed even if no one notices him or his activities. 

Matthew 20:25-28 is Jesus' personal statement on the issue and sets forth the principle that the one who desires to lead must first be humble and serve. 

Which leader would you rather follow? 

Thanks for reading!