My path towards service
Communication is connection-- connection to self, the Spirit, and community. Longing for connection is a part of the human experience and through communication we connect and show love. My journey as a communication scholar and emerging servant-leader organically began when I was young, as I often found myself in leadership positions. My communication skills and abilities progressed through my undergraduate work and through various careers where I worked with small teams to formulate large-scale trainings. Reflecting on my life, I have consistently gravitated toward leadership positions that allowed me to flex my communication skills to achieve objectives or connections.
I humbly invite you to read more about my journey through servant-leadership and reflect on what resonated with you.
Understanding Myself as a Servant-Leader in Training
Servant-leadership is a complex and paradoxical leadership philosophy grounded in the natural desire to serve others. It is not a leadership style where a leader chooses to serve, but rather, a philosophy in which a natural-born servant utilizes their values and skills within the context of leadership (Greenleaf, 2002). In the spirit of humility, I happily proclaim that I am a servant-leader in training. That is to say: I am learning to detach from traditional ideologies of leadership touted in our Western culture to embrace the servant-leader philosophy. According to Horsman, “Servant leadership carries vital energies, values and wisdom at a transformative depth that many may not be aware of” and I am just scratching the surface (2018, p. 91). Within this paper, I will be reviewing several scholarly sources examining the characteristics of a servant-leader and assessing my current level of leadership against those characteristics while identifying my top strengths and my greatest opportunity. I will also be discussing how I intend on improving upon my biggest area of opportunity, furthering my development and ability to serve others through my leadership.
Servant-Leadership
I am a servant-leader in training. This simple statement requires a lot of unpacking to fully understand the depth; therefore, it is worth establishing a working definition of what a servant-leader in training means. Servant-leadership is described “as an emerging leadership paradigm for the twenty-first century” wherein an individual with a service-oriented heart assumes the role of leader within a community or organization (Spears, 2023). The key being that this individual is a “servant first” before any leadership role is assumed (Greenleaf, 2002, p. 27). Within the article Character and Servant-Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Listening Leaders, Larry Spears (2023) provides a list of the ten characteristics of servant leaders including: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people and building community. Since servant-leadership is rooted in the natural feeling to serve, the true definition is difficult to pinpoint as one must balance the cognitive and creative brain to produce a working definition. However, since Greenleaf had tremendous foresight, a key trait of a servant-leader, he withheld a specific definition perhaps to leave space for an evolving definition to emerge as new servant-leaders in training practiced the philosophy in modern day. Had he offered a concrete, irrefutable definition then it perhaps it would not have sparked the creative minds of future leaders to serve the changing people and changing times. The unknown allows for creativity, humility, and foresight within the interstitial space of the working definition, which are essential components of servant-leadership. In essence, formulating a definition of servant-leadership is a rite of passage into enacting the philosophy, since even arriving at a definition requires the active use of many of the traits of a servant-leader. Two other critical elements to unpack are the hyphen in servant-leadership and the “in training” portion tacked on the end. It is of value to address the use of the hyphen in servant-leadership, as the hyphen equalizes the power of the words and accentuates the servanthood in servant-leadership, which differentiates it from simply being a style of leadership (Wallace, 2023). While the hyphen might be a small detail, the symbolism is significant, as there is great intentionality in tethering the two opposing words “servant” and “leader”. The last element to explore within the statement is the humble “in training” portion tacked onto the end of “servant-leader in training”. This signifies that the learning and developing never ceases; there is no finish-line to breach or summit to crest. This realization is as exhilarating as it is daunting in my personal practice. However, by humbly adding “in training” to the end, we give ourselves permission to “…explore, experiment, struggle, make mistakes, reflect and continue to enhance our awareness…” throughout our journey (Horsman, 2018, p. 12). Perhaps the most beautiful element of being human, and a servant-leader in training, is that growth is a horizon we always have the opportunity to chase and yet, will never actually touch.
Self-Awareness: Strengths
While I have only been an active servant-leader in training for a few years it has been a period of intense self-reflection and healing which has had a transformational impact to my leadership philosophy and my personal state of being. Through self-reflection, I have found that several characteristics Spears (2023) identified for effective servant-leaders were already in alignment with my personal values and daily practices. I have embraced humility, curiosity and creativity which have led to breakthroughs as I expanded my ego-based behavior towards more of a socio-centric model. I have notice that as my own self-awareness and development has unfolded, it has increased my ability to serve others which is “…mutually self-empowering and other empowering” (Horsman, 2018, p. 26). I believe my commitment to grow and develop others is one of my fundamental strengths because it is one of the traits that comes most natural to me, as I have always believed in the power a people. Through my own introspective work, my commitment to aiding others in their awareness journey has only deepened. I have consistently positioned myself so that I may help nurture the growth of people around me in various organizations with the goal of helping them to realize their power and potential. This is why I believe I have sought out and held countless training, coaching and mentoring positions for over a decade and continue to do so. Currently, I remain deeply committed to the growth of the whole person, not just teaching them tasks that will serve the organizational benchmarks. This is evident in my role as a Senior Instructor at the fire academy. I have come to realize my value is not in the firefighting skills I teach, but rather, through the exercises I facilitate which build strength and promote self-awareness in people. Since they are served in this way, they are far more capable of accumulating the skills necessary to perform within the organization with the added benefit of becoming more loving and more willing to serve others in the future (Greenleaf, 2002). When it comes to servant-leadership “The best test, and difficult to administer, is this: Do those served grow as persons?” in other words: are those around you better people because of your leadership (Greenleaf, 2002, p. 27)? Although I have nothing but anecdotal evidence, I believe because of my service-first disposition I leave most people better than I found them, which is the greatest way in which I serve the world.
Self-Awareness: Opportunities
While I maintain several strengths of a servant-leader in training, primarily the commitment to the growth of people, my aim is to focus this analysis on my greatest area of opportunity: awareness. According to C. Michael Thompson (2000), the single-most important characteristic essential for leadership is self-awareness. Self-awareness is a rite of passage for servant-leaders in training because without it, one is unable to fully develop, express and utilize the other essential character traits. I have come to understand that I am only able to fully realize my potential as a servant-leader by gaining a deeper understanding of who I am at my core. This depth of understanding can only be achieved by continually practicing the art of listening. “The wellspring of self-knowledge is introspection: serious self-reflection on our own motives, prejudices, actions, gifts and graces” (Thompson, 2000, p. 151). By boldly traveling into the depths of self, I can unlock an increasing amount of information about who I am, what values I operate from and what I believe, all of which impacts how I interact with the world. Several scholars of servant-leadership have emphasized the value of self-awareness and integrating an internal exploration into daily practice. Thompson (2000) states that while “…externals foster or accelerate the inner work…” that one must explore their interior to gain greater self-awareness (p. 150). Horsman echoes this sentiment by saying “…this search for clarity involves identifying the contradictions of our beliefs and values in our behaviors…” and that by exploring our internal truths, only then can we work on outward influence (Horsman, 2018, p. 106). Ken Blanchard encourages all servant-leaders in training to “…recalibrate who we want to be…” continuously, and to do that, we must sit with ourselves in silence (Ferch et al., 2015, p. 158). By having the courage to dive into elements of self that have largely been dormant and stowed away, I am able to come closer to actualizing my authentic-self, allowing me to tap into inner resources needed for my servant-leader journey (Thompson, 2000). I lack the discipline of entering silence on a consistent basis, despite knowing and understanding the many benefits of self-awareness. I believe this is primarily due to the external chaos and noise I invite into my world, which stifles my inner-voice. In our Western culture, we value production to such an extent that one risks losing themselves in oceans of external consumption. I am a person with busy hands and a full schedule, which tempt me into prioritizing external tasks over internal work. This conditioning does not serve me as I know that “Each time we venture into the realm of Silence consciously, not merely by accident, our soul is strengthened and a feeling of clarity emerges” (Sardello, 2006, p. 14). Admittedly, I am not living a fully congruent life based upon the anxiety and triggers I experience, which are glaring markers of unprocessed internal elements ready for excavation. “To do anything reflectively demands that one be alone with one’s thoughts and accept the presence of a deeper self with which one may have only tenuous communication” (Greenleaf et al., 1996, p. 43). By entering silence intentionally, with an open heart and within a calm space, I am preparing to be present to my inner voice, my truths. I am creating space for messages to arise from within, or from Spirit and silence allows me to be available to receive these messages. This self-knowing provides the feeling of stabilization which progresses me towards being fully present to others when they need to speak from their heart. “Over time we become more authentic, more whole, more self-responsible and more autonomous” (Thompson, 2000, p. 152). I find peace in knowing that I maintain a baseline of awareness to such a degree that I am willing to dive deeper into myself to become a better, more refined person. Through this increasing self-awareness, I am more present and available to others because I am more present and available to myself. In other words, I have had time to put on my own oxygen mask and breathe in my inner truths, which in turn, allows me to aid others in applying their masks within a servant-leader capacity.
Doing the Work
By humbly admitting my work is primarily creating space to connect within, it is now my responsibility to act. Since I have identified my largest barrier to doing internal work is the noise and chaos I invite into my world, I am now able to strategize on how to give myself the time and space I need to develop. There is no magic pill or program; I must battle my conditioning to busy myself and simply create space. While reflecting, my heart wanders back to the river and sits next to Siddartha, who lovingly reminds me that my seeking is interfering with my listening (Hesse, 1971). To create space, first, I intend on setting a goal to enter into silence for one minute every morning. This goal is small enough to be obtainable but will provide tremendous benefits in formulating a new habit. My hope is that the duration of time I allot myself will increase over time. Second, I will document when I am triggered. Triggers are helpful in identifying where the work needs to be done, because the emotion always carries a message. If I can write down what was occurring and the emotion I was experiencing, that allows me to use the information as a guide. Third, I will find ways to detach from, perhaps the biggest distraction of all, my cell phone. My phone, loaded with apps begging for attention, is a point of contention for me. I must always have it because I am a mother and a first responder, but it is also the biggest distractor in my life. My intention is to become more aware of how much time I am spending on my phone and use it as a tool, not a distractor. Fourth, I am going to minimize my consumption of external sources (music, podcasts, TV, social media, blogs etc.) and exchange that time for self-reflection. Interestingly, I have recently stopped listening to music containing lyrics during my morning walk and it has been incredible. My creativity has skyrocketed, and I find myself eagerly jotting down notes and poetry. The simple act of calming the chaos of my external world has been remarkably healing. By implementing small changes, I am inching closer to living in congruence with my values and beliefs. I am becoming more whole and connected. This synergy will continually propel me forward in listening to myself so that I may listen to others, to love myself so that I may love others and to fully serve myself so that I may be of service to others.
In Closing
Practicing servant-leadership has been an act of self-love. It has required me to travel within and explore elements of myself that otherwise might have stayed buried for a lifetime, influencing my values and behaviors behind-the-scenes. Although I embody several of the traits of a servant-leader in training, there is always more work to do in the realm of self-love and self-awareness. Horsman (2018) states that “Love for others, and self, is inherent within the motive for desiring to serve-first” (p. 20). Loving myself through accepting the damaged parts will not only bring healing but will also allow the ones I serve to accept the damaged parts of themselves. This notion of loving myself is at the core of self-awareness and is my attempt at healing to become more whole, which will aid in my ability to serve (Horsman, 2018). My intention is to cultivate a life moving forward in which I deepen my silence and further connect with myself, thereby acknowledging I am more than my body, I am more than my past, I am more than what I can produce, I am more than my resume, I am more than my character traits, I am more than my thoughts. I am a servant. I am a leader. I am a servant-leader in training…endlessly pursuing the light of my potential on the horizon’s edge.