SELFISH LEADERSHIP VERSUS SERVANT LEADERSHIP
-by Dr. John Tetsola

Good leaders make the transition from selfish leadership to servant leadership. Anyone who desires to follow Jesus must learn to lead this way. This requires a paradigm shift from selfish leadership to servant leadership. The two stand in stark contrast to one another. And by doing a careful reading of the Gospels, we can see how Jesus led in contrast to the Pharisees’ way of leading.

The Pharisees saw Jesus’ method of leadership, and they simply would not embrace it. They made excuses for themselves. They pointed to their lineage as children of Abraham, thinking a title would protect them. They held on to their old way of doing things. But their time was coming to an end. Jesus taught a new way of looking at leadership. Here are seven ways in which selfish leadership differs from servant leadership:

• First, they differ in how they gain influence. Selfish leaders seek to use their power to get people to do what they want. They try to impress, intimidate, or simply overpower others. In contrast, servant leaders seek to love people to gain influence. They strive to follow the directions given in Philippians 2 which says, “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (v. 2-4, NKJV). Servant leaders see leadership as a platform for loving people, not for getting their own way.
   

• Second, they differ in where they find their confidence. Selfish leaders look for confidence and validation in victory over others. It confirms their position and feeds their sense of power. Servant leaders also like to win, but that isn’t the source of their strength. Their confidence comes from their dependence on God. Like Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:5, we acknowledge that “…our sufficiency is from God” (NKJV).
   

• Third, they differ in how they wield authority. Time and again, the Pharisees reminded people of their position, cited their credentials, and stood on their rights in order to lead others. They did everything in their power to stand apart from and above those they led. In contrast, Jesus gave us His rights, made Himself like a slave, and served those who were beneath Him. He defined leadership as service, and He expected anyone who desired to lead others in His name to use their power to add value to others.
   

• Fourth, they differ in how they grow an organization. Selfish leaders, like the Pharisees, place demands on others to extend their power and enlarge their organization. They tear people down and ask them to jump through hoops to prove themselves. As a servant leader, Jesus focused on building people up. He spent His entire ministry developing people and encouraging, training, and empowering His disciples. Before He was done, He gave His authority to followers so that they could carry on after Him.
   

• Fifth, they differ in their perspective and vision. Selfish leaders are usually very short-sighted. Their focus is like that of kids who play “King of the Hill.” They spend most of their time and energy knocking others down, while keeping themselves on top. Their perspective and their efforts are temporal. Servant leaders who follow God live for the eternal.
   

• Sixth, they differ in how they define success. If you are a selfish leader, when do you know that you are successful? Only when you personally win. There is no other gauge of success. That is not true for servant leaders. Servant leaders are successful when anyone they help wins. But they can consider themselves successful even in the face of losses, as long as they were obedient to God’s direction. He alone has the full picture of what is happening in the world, and He knows what kind of impact a leader is making in eternity.
   

• Finally, they differ in how they see their roles. The bottom line is that selfish leaders see themselves as rulers over others. They want to be the boss, and they will do whatever is necessary to keep themselves in that position. Servant leaders see themselves as partners. As Jesus prepared to go to the cross, He let the disciples know that He was treating them not as underlings, but as equals in the mission. He said, “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends (partners), for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you” (Jn. 15:15, NKJV). Servant leaders don‘t seek to put themselves above others. They desire partnership.

Everything rises and falls on leadership. But leaders have no part without the family or body that they serve. What is important is how leaders approach their role. Are they in it for themselves, or are they leading because they want to add value by serving others?