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.
- “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.” –Simon Sinek
- “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
- ”The best way to find yourself is in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”- John C. Maxwell
- “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “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
- “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
- “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
- “Success is…knowing your purpose in life, growing to reach your maximum potential, and sowing seeds that benefit others.” – John C. Maxwell
- “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?
