The Definition of Christian Servant Leader Character

Abstract

This book is dedicated to assisting Christian leaders and managers to assume the mantle of servant leadership, the God-directed and God-endorsed means for achieving the foundational mission requirements of Christianity, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Servant leadership is the approach to leadership promoted by Scripture, and it provides the greatest opportunity to honor God and bless our employers. There are many approaches to leadership, but only servant leadership emphasizes the necessary balance between morality, mission achievement, and promoting the best interests of the key stakeholders (employees, clients, customers, and the community). The dual foundation of servant leadership is stewardship (which is achieving the mission by using moral motives, means, and ends) and servanthood (which is promoting the best interests and needs of the key stakeholders). Servant leadership manifests both religious and secular roots. There is a burgeoning body of literature that demonstrates the positive influence of servant leadership on a host of attitudinal, behavioral, and performance outcomes. One key element of the discussion is to rebut the varied and conflictual stereotypes and misinformation regarding servant leadership. Two of the most common are that servant leadership is “soft” management or that servant leaders possess a martyr complex.