Every child longs to hear words of love and affirmation from their father. Some hear these precious words but unfortunately many do not. Those who do not hear these words often live their lives trying to hear the same words from others. Jesus heard these words from His Father at His baptism. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). The three phrases that Jesus received from His Father powerfully affected His life and leadership. They freed Him to live and lead as a servant. Servant leaders also learn to hear these words and allow them to shape their leadership.

“This is my son…” affirms identity.

Jesus heard His Father’s voice and it provided an affirmation of His identity. There was no question in Jesus’ mind that He belonged to His Father. When questioned about His background or authority to teach, He could respond calmly and confidently. He had nothing He needed to prove to others. His secure identity finally allowed Him to serve His disciples by washing their feet. Leaders who don’t hear these words seek to prove who they are and to show that they are someone great. Servant leaders hear their Father call them His child. They recognize their own adoption as a child of God and rest in that knowledge. Their identity with Jesus provides security. They no longer need to prove to others that they belong. Their leadership flows out of intimacy with their Father. They don’t lead to prove their identity; they lead because they belong to their Father. Some lead to be someone; servants lead because they are someone.

“Whom I love…” instills significance.

These words from the Father told Jesus that He was deeply loved. These words met one of His deepest human needs, to know He was loved and therefore significant. As a leader who was deeply loved He could pass that love on to many others in His ministry. Leaders who don’t hear these words seek to show others that they are significant. They strive to impress those they lead. They use their leadership to meet their own emotional need to be significant. Their focus is on themselves. Their lives cry out, “Please love me. Tell me I’m significant.” Servant leaders hear the Father say, “I love you.” These words of unconditional love meet the deep need in their soul to be significant. When they realize that they are deeply loved, they can share love with others. They don’t lead to gain significance; they lead because they are significant. Some lead to be loved; servants lead because they are loved.

“With him I am well pleased” provides affirmation.

Jesus received this affirmation from His Father before He began His public ministry. He had not yet preached to crowds or performed any miracles. His knew His Father’s affirmation was not based on His performance but was given as a gift. Leaders who seek affirmation need to impress others. They work hard to be bigger or better than the rest. They are desperate to prove that they are good enough. Servant leaders hear their Father say, “I am pleased with you.” They no longer need to perform to show they are okay. They don’t lead to be affirmed; they lead because they are already affirmed by their Father. Some lead to be affirmed; servants lead because they are affirmed.

Servant leaders learn to stop and listen to the voice of the Father. His voice shapes their life and leadership just as it did for Jesus. Take a moment today to hear the Father’s voice.

For further reflection and discussion:

• What is the basis of your own identity? Is it in your family name, your position, or your education? Or does it come from who you are in Christ? What difference will it make in your leadership if you hear the voice of the Father say, “You are my child…you belong to me”?
• How do you think God feels about you? Are you fully convinced of His unconditional love or do you feel that you need to try harder and do more to ‘earn’ His love? What difference will it make in your leadership if you hear the voice of the Father say, “I love you”?
• Do you honestly feel good enough for God to accept you or do you feel like you always need to do more to gain His approval? What difference will it make in your leadership if you hear His voice saying, “With you I am well pleased”?
• Reflect on the following verses that reveal the Father’s heart for you. Write down what He is speaking to you as you meditate on them. (Isaiah 62:5; John 1:12; 15:15; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:1, 15-16, 31-39; 1 John 3:1)

Great leaders inspire others to share the vision but also empower others to carry out the vision. They are not only capable of great accomplishments; they inspire others to greatness. Many leaders focus on drawing people to follow them and perhaps serve as good models but fail to bring out the best in others. The best leaders give power to others. Servant leaders like Paul give power to others so that they can develop their unique gifts and carry out God’s vision.

Examine Paul’s example of empowering others to act.

Paul was a master at empowering others around him. He received God’s vision and call alone but quickly called others around him. Paul established churches and very quickly appointed elders and leaders to care for others rather than trying to do all the work himself. He often traveled with a team of up to eight people who traveled with him and learned how to do the work of ministry as they traveled. As they walked with Paul they learned to preach, to train leaders, to deal with persecution and church problems. He invested in their lives, trained them deliberately and released them to serve. He chose Timothy as a young man and mentored him to become an effective leader in the church. Paul was not threatened by the gifts of others; rather he encouraged them to develop. He didn’t keep power to himself or try to build his own empire. He gave power away as fast as possible recognizing that leaders are called to empower others to act. It is no surprise that he wrote that the job description for leaders is “to prepare God’s people for works of service” (Ephesians 4:12).

Understand the power of empowering others to act.

Helping others to act in ways that they previously were unable to act affirms the potential of each individual. When a leader empowers others to act he/she is encouraging that person to grow. It is an action that ‘lifts the lid’ in people’s lives, freeing them to develop their gifts and to release their talents. Good leaders help people grow and develop; they make people feel bigger, not smaller. Servant leaders recognize that each person they serve has been created by God and called to glorify Him by what they do. They serve by releasing this potential.

Empowering others to act also shares the work and multiplies the impact. Leaders who empower others develop a team that is capable of doing far more than an individual. Followers who feel empowered by their leader are energized to do more and the impact multiplies.

Empowering others to act is more than delegating tasks, it is developing people. Selfish leaders delegate to get the task done; servant leaders empower to develop people. The task still gets done, but the focus is far beyond the task; it is on the person doing the task.

Accept the call to empower others to act.

In whatever leadership capacity you serve, God gives you the unique opportunity to empower others to act in ways that they would not themselves believe possible. Become a ‘STAR’ at empowering.

Select those who should be on your team and in whom you should focus your energy to empower.

Train them for whatever task it is that they are called and gifted to do. If you are not able to train them, find someone who can train them or help them find the tools they need.

Affirm them. Provide verbal encouragement which expresses your belief in them. We’ll look more at this in our next issue.

Release them. As they develop their gifts provide more and more freedom for them to do all that for which God has created them. If they remain on your team everyone will benefit. When their growth means that they should no longer serve on your team release them and bless them! You have done your part and developed someone who will bless others.

For further reflection and discussion:

Reflect on your level of security as a leader by answering the following questions. Give yourself a number on a scale of 1 to 10, and write down any thoughts that you have about your response:

• ______ How well do I recognize the potential in others?
• ______ How easily am I able to release tasks to others?
• ______ How easily can I rejoice when others do better than I do?
• ______ How easily can I rejoice when others do better than I do?
• ______ How willing am I to release those I have developed?
• As a leader, am I threatened by the gifts of those around me or am I actively giving power to them? In what ways have I acted in the past week that illustrates this?
• When I delegate tasks, is my focus on getting the work done or developing the person doing the work?
• What persons have I identified to actively and deliberately develop? What more can I do to empower them? What is my plan of action with them?
• In what way have I affirmed someone on my team this week? If you can’t recall a specific action, take a moment to do it now.
• Have I released those on my team in ways that feel empowering to them? (You may need to ask them this question if you want an honest answer!)

*Note: Kouzes and Posner use the phrase ‘enable others to act.’ Because of the negative connotations sometimes associated with this word, especially in the counseling profession, I have chosen to use the word ‘empower’.