The best leaders are the ones who put people first. They are humble, reliable, trustworthy, experienced, and influence others to follow their lead. These people often fall into the category of “servant leaders”.
In the company I work for, we have some top leaders who started at the very bottom over twenty years ago. Our CEO was a welder (and is still able to showcase his skills) and our CIO/President started out in the IT service desk as an intern (and still refers to himself as an intern). Part of their ability to lead comes from humble beginnings, understanding the needs of the majority of our employees, never forgetting where they came from and recognizing our most important assets: People and relationships.
The servant leadership model works and I believe this is because it is similar to the blueprint or template that God has given us through his son Jesus Christ. God wanted (and still wants) a relationship with his creation so he sent Jesus to live amongst us. Jesus wasn’t sent as a CEO, a doctor, or an Earthly king. He started out humbly as a laborer, a carpenter.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. (Mark 6:3)
This carpenter went on to become a teacher, rabbi, servant leader, miracle worker and the Resurrected King. While Jesus could have had anything and everything on this Earth, he gave it all up for us. Living a life of poverty, his body broken, beaten and tortured, spit upon and humiliated, then hung on a cross – even though he could have stopped it at any time because while he was human, he was also God in the flesh.
Shortly before the crucifixion, Jesus taught and led as a servant leader, washing the feet of his disciples.
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:5)
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:8)
Through an upside-down gesture he knelt to wash the disciples feet as a symbol of their (and our) need for spiritual cleansing. In an upside-down world, will you consider letting him wash your feet today and in turn, bow to Him who calls you by name?