Living the ethos of servant leadership (III)

Thirdly, another visible attribute of a servant leader is that servant leaders don’t need credit for achievements and successes. They believe that those doing the work deserve the credit and praise and make sure the focus is on them rather than themselves.However, what you get in the country today is that some of our leaders […]

Thirdly, another visible attribute of a servant leader is that servant leaders don’t need credit for achievements and successes. They believe that those doing the work deserve the credit and praise and make sure the focus is on them rather than themselves.
However, what you get in the country today is that some of our leaders can be said to be media freak because they love to be seen and heard always and can actually go to the extent of paying their way just to be in the news.  Our leaders must realize that a tree they say does not make a forest and thus need to stop making themselves the centre of attraction and attention and give credit to those whom credit is due.
If you desire as a leader to be called a servant leader, then don’t attempt to dim the light of your followers just to ensure they don’t shine too brightly to the point of overshadowing you.
 Fourthly, servant leaders don’t embrace the common phrase ‘the ends justify the means’. This is because they realize the means are as important as the ends. The message here is that a leader must be caring enough about how things are done to consider the needs of those involved. The way things are done sends a strong signal about the nature of our society and particularly how people are treated.
A decision may have to be made anyway but how the decision is implemented often has a wide range of latitude. Demolition may have to be carried out to sanitize the environment and ensure that the master plan is not altered. But how is it done? Do people wake up one morning only to see bulldozers within the vicinity of their homes ready to pull down houses? Or are people given adequate notice to make arrangement for alternative accommodation? There is a whole lot of difference between the first and second approaches. Demolition may be imperative for the common good of everybody, but the way it is done separate a servant leader from an ‘accidental’ leader.
Furthermore, servant leaders must have high level of moral courage to be able to surmount temptations, distractions, and pressure to make decisions based on pressure from powerful groups or domineering leaders. Our political landscape is replete with god fathers who after anointing and sponsoring their political sons dictate what they should do and what they should not do; they choose who should get what position, determine what projects should be embarked upon and may even attempt to pry into how the political son should relate with his wife.
However, it is expected that a servant leader will determine a right course of action and act on it even if there is external pressure to take a particular decision. They must be able to hold the bull by the horn and confront either issues or people who try to prevent the journey to servant hood.
In addition, servant leaders will first of all carryout a self appraisal because they understand that healing oneself is pivotal to healing others. Servant leaders know that if they ignore the self work required to address their own concerns, emotions and demons, they will have difficulties staying in the moment to deal with others questions and issues.
Also, servant leaders are focused on making sure that their organization, Local Government Area, State etc performs services that make society better and contributes to the greater good. They focus their attention and priority in taking decisions about sustainability, leadership succession, and highest priority societal needs.
Finally, a servant leader shapes the ethos in which others must live, an ethos as light-filled as heaven or as shadowy as hell. A leader- whether in the home, mosque, church, business, community, or government has authority due to his role, but his positional power will not bring about good for individuals, organization or the nation at large unless it is backed up by the capital of character. The context in which character is used here means doing the right thing when no one else is there. The consciousness that God almighty is watching all of us should be enough motivation to be fair and just at all times.
As another electoral year is fast approaching, we urge all our leaders to embrace change. Everybody must get on board and be committed to be part of something that will make a big difference in the life of Nigerians. We pray to almighty God to bestow on us in this country leaders who possess honesty, responsibility, respect, fairness, and compassion for the people.
God in his infinite mercy will bequeath on Nigeria and Nigerians leaders who, irrespective of their educational background, are committed to high ideals and expect the best from others, leaders who stand for values of human worth, respect and growth. As Martin Luther King jr. puts it, “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.”
Concluded.
Abubakar Yakubu, a chartered Accountant, lives in Abuja