July 24, 2024
Serving leaders surrender their business* or organization and see their role as stewards. They shape the organization by focusing on the value they bring to the world, by developing people and creating a culture of excellence. They also serve the organization by taking time to work on the business. Many leaders spend nearly all of their time working in the business, doing the daily tasks that need to be done. But serving leaders find ways to step back and focus on strategic planning, building leaders and long-term development of the business. They consider scriptures like these:
“Where there is no revelation [KJV “vision”] people cast off restraint (Proverbs 29:18a, NIV).
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish’ (Luke 14:28-30).
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty (Proverbs 21:5).
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied” (Exodus 18:17, 18, 21, 23, NIV).
Serving leaders serve the organization by clarifying direction.
Effective organizations have clarity on vision, mission and values. Without clarity on vision people will “cast off restraint” or live carelessly. Leaders who spend all their time in the daily tasks that need to be done fail to provide the direction the organization needs to thrive. Serving leaders take time to work on the organization by clarifying vision, mission and values. They often spend time reminding people of these core elements that bring meaning and purpose to the daily tasks. This clarity results in purpose and meaning in the work and increases the engagement of the hearts of people in what they are doing. Only leaders can clarify direction.
Serving leaders serve the organization by careful planning.
Some leaders are so busy doing the work that they don’t take time to plan for the work. They are too busy to “sit down and estimate the cost.” But serving leaders recognize that part of their role as a leader is to ensure that plans are properly made and carried out. They look down the road and anticipate future challenges and make plans to prepare the organization for long-term success. Only leaders can ensure that adequate planning takes place in an organization.
Serving leaders serve the organization by creating leaders.
Moses was a classic leader trying to do all the work himself when his father-in-law gave him great leadership advice to develop leaders from the people. Some leaders focus on getting the work done through people. But serving leaders focus on developing the people that they have. They understand that they will never have too many leaders in the organization and that only leaders can ensure that the organization is producing leaders.
Remember, it’s not your business! Serving leaders serve the organization by working on it.
For further reflection and discussion:
- How clear in my organization is our vision (why we exist)? Our mission (what we do that benefits the world)? Our values (How we relate to each other and those we serve)? What do I need to do to make these directional pillars an integral part of our daily work?
- Do I naturally focus on planning or execution? What does this indicate about who I need to work closely with on my team? Do we take enough time for strategic planning in our organization? If so, reach out to your team and thank them for their work in effective planning and point out how it benefits the organization. If not, when will I schedule time for this?
- How effectively do I focus on developing leaders in my organization? What is my plan to keep developing leaders? What steps can I take to create an organization that focuses on developing leaders?
Until next time, yours on the journey,
Jon Byler
*Note: In this series we use “business” to apply to any type of organization whether for profit or non-profit. The principles of this series apply to for-profit enterprises, non-profits (such as churches or NGO’s) and any other domain of work and service.
If you would like a PDF of this series in one document, click here to download.
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