The Servant As Leadership, The Leader, The Servant, And Lead Like Jesus?

Although the three books, The Servant as Leader, The Servant, and Lead Like Jesus, all center around servant leadership, each author takes a different perspective on the meaning of being a servant leader. Robert Greenleaf addresses leadership from a straight-forward stance; saying that a good leader must be a servant-first by finding the will within themselves to put the needs of their group before their own. James Hunter discusses servant leadership through a story involving everyday people that the reader can relate to. He demonstrates that using Jesus as a guide can initiate character development that will fashion servant leadership. Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges offer a new perspective on servant leadership by bringing Jesus into …show more content…
In all circumstances, heart is what drives an individual’s motivation. Motivation is closely intertwined with leadership because a leader’s motivations ultimately determine how they choose to treat and interact with others. Blanchard and Hodges state that the biggest hurdle that leaders face is self-interest. Self-interest and motivation for personal gain can impair relationships and break trust that has built up over time. They reveal that self-interest is caused by placing security in earthly things, rather than placing all one’s trust in God. This false security causes leaders to build up fear which can lead them astray in their purpose of leading others. Blanchard and Hodges reference Matthew 6:33 to emphasize their perspective of motivation behind leadership: “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [the necessities of life] will be given to you as well” (Blanchard & Hodges, 2008, p. 76). This verse reinforces their perspective that pleasing God and placing all trust in Him will allow one to be a servant …show more content…
In his book he states: “The servant-leader is servant first…It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.” (Greenleaf, 1970, p. 15) Contrary to Blanchard and Hodges, Greenleaf states that motivation is caused by a natural feeling to serve, mentioning nothing about God. This could definitely conflict with the self-interest aspect Blanchard and Hodges wrote about. In Greenleaf’s philosophy, the motivation to serve comes from within, making it seem that one must depend on himself in order to lead. This could lead to motivation resulting from self-interest or fear that would ultimately create unhealthy relationships among a leader and his