Lead to Serve
By ESTERLITA C. DADIOS, PhD
Ampayon Central Elementary School
We are all leaders in our own right. We become leaders in the school as teachers in the classroom, as school coordinators, as grade level heads, as committee chair and as school administrators, just to name a few. Since leadership is part and parcel of our profession, the question now is, how does one become an effective leader?
The Bible says, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
To become an effective leader, we need to possess a servant’s heart. A heart that beats not for self-seeking but rather for selfless service. Not just a leader, but a servant-leader who leads to serve and not to be served.
How do we know that we have a servant’s heart? Jesus said, “You can tell what they are by what they do.” Rick Warren in his book, A Purpose-Driven Life, describes a servant’s heart
1. Available to serve – Always prepared to do what is needed, even when it is inconvenient. Imagine a school administrator who only does his job when it is for his own benefit, then leaves it once the going gets tough for him. Or a school coordinator who consumes his time complaining rather than doing the task assigned to him. If we only serve when it is within our comfort zone, we accomplish little because we buckle and become bitter when we are faced with bigger and greater opportunities to be of service to others.
2. Pay attention to needs – Whenever they see a need, they seize the moment to meet it. Servant-leaders do not wait to be told. They listen then take the initiative to address the need and find ways on how to serve others. For example, a principal who is sensitive to the needs of his teachers then willingly and sincerely helps them overcome their difficulties.
3. Do their best with what they have – Don’t make excuses, procrastinate or wait for better circumstances. They just do what needs to be done. For example, teachers who use available resources to serve their pupils, instead of waiting and grumbling for unmet needs in their classroom.
4. Do every task with equal dedication – Whatever they do, servant-leaders “do it with all their heart.” No task is beneath you when you have a servant’s heart. Even if they have the highest position in their profession, they are still open to do ordinary tasks to serve as role models to others.
5. Maintain a low profile – Instead of acting to impress and dressing for success, they “put on the apron of humility, to serve one another.” Servant-leaders wholeheartedly serve with or without recognition. They serve because it is God’s purpose and not for man’s applause.
It is not easy to have a servant’s heart but with God’s guidance and the desire to wholeheartedly serve others, we can become effective servant-leaders. ###
