Tone Deaf or Servant? A Contrast of Leaders

Some of this material was originally posted about 6 months ago, but I think it is time to revisit the issue. So, here we go! 

A while back, I wrote down some thoughts about leadership, but they were not necessarily thoughts about good leadership. I listed a few characteristics that might identify the "tone deaf" leader. You can find the list below. I then decided it might be a good idea to contrast the "negative" with a "positive" view of leadership. So, I jotted down a few ideas about what servant leadership entails. That list is also found below. Please feel free to add to these 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) . . . likes to enjoy the "best" things in life while thinking that others are "beneath" or "unworthy" of such things. The tone deaf leader is an elitist and arrogant. 

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

6) . . . pretends to be a great communicator while utilizing simple catchphrases or pithy emotional slogans instead of topics of substance; prefers cliches to actual intellectual give-and-take. 

7) . . . 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. 

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

9) . . . 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 over a year ago. 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 interests but is concerned for the benefit and success of others. 

5) . . . obeys God even if it is costly to him personally. In fact, the servant leader prefers to pay the price rather than forcing someone else to do it. 

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. 

9) . . . is not afraid to get his hands dirty while working with and for others. 

10) . . . does not consider others as "servants" to his cause, but rather sees himself as a "servant" to others so that they may become better equipped to succeed.

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!