Top 10 Servant Leadership Quotes

Servant Leadership is a term that gets thrown around haphazardly in the business world, but what exactly does it mean? It appears that there is a unique art to this style of leadership, and it all begins with an unselfish mindset. True Servant Leadership is about other people. Here are 10 thought-provoking Servant Leadership quotes.

10. “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.” –Simon Sinek

9. “You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people. You can’t save the people, if you don’t serve the people.” – Dr. Cornel West

8. ”The best way to find yourself is in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi

7. “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”- John C. Maxwell

6. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

5. “Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to power is to choose to limit oneself—to serve.” – Wm. Paul Young

4. “I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.” – Brene Brown

3. “If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them.” – Lao Tzu

2. “Success is…knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.” – John C. Maxwell

1. “Every time we interact with another person at work, we have a choice to make: do we try to claim as much value as we can, or contribute value without worrying about what we receive in return?” – Adam Grant

Someone seeking to be known as a Servant Leader because it’s a nice buzz phrase has a bit more work to do. Ultimately, someone seeking to become a genuine Servant Leader must work on shifting their mindset from self to others in all things. Earlier this year, Taylor worked with a great Servant Leader in our local community and shared some thoughts on The Point Blog.

One important note here is that self-care is distinct from selfish behavior. Giving attention to personal wellness and wellbeing is critical to be able to give attention to others. Taking on the title or image of a Servant Leader to the extreme of ignoring self-care will only end up hurting those you hope to serve.

How can you apply these Servant Leadership quotes and ideas to your life?