In order to lead, you must serve. This is the solid premise of the book The Servant by James C. Hunter. It is discussed through the tale of John Daily, a business executive who starts to lose his grip as boss, husband, father, and coach. He was talked into going on a week-long retreat at a Benedictine Monastery to re-center and find his balance. During the retreat, a former Wall Street legend turned monk shows him a different perspective on leadership - servant leadership.

The Ten Attributes of Love and Leadership The book enumerated the following as the qualities of a servant leader. Incidentally, these are also the attributes of love, which was defined earlier as ones behavior towards others.

1. Patient - showing self-control.

2. Kind - giving attention, appreciation, and encouragement.

3. Humble - being authentic without pretense or arrogance.

4. Respectful - treating others as important people.

5. Selfless - meeting the needs of others.

6. Forgiving - giving up resentment when wronged.

7. Honest - being free from deception.

8. Committed - sticking to your choices.

All these behaviors will entail you to serve and sacrifice for others. This would mean setting aside your own wants and needs to focus on the legitimate needs of others.

You need to realize that success does not only come from hard work and appropriately playing the part. To be successful in business and in your career, you must be able to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack - you need to develop, build and defend your reputation.

The Law of the Harvest

Remember: you reap what you sow. For authority or influence to flourish, the right environment must be provided and a nurturing behavior must be present. In a garden, the soil, the sun, the water, the fertilizer, and the care given by the gardener all make up the environment under which the plant will grow and mature. The one thing that you are not sure of, however, is when the flowers will actually bloom. Bear in mind that influence is not a magical beanstalk that will sprout overnight; rather, it is something that grows in time.

The Rewards of Leading with Authority

Leading with authority enables you to have a personal mission statement: to serve the people you lead, to listen to their needs, to give praise and recognition, to show kindness, and to be honest, among other things. When servant leadership becomes your ethos in life, people would be lining up to join your cause.

By serving others and loving your neighbors, you are keeping in line with the doctrines of the Church as well as other religions. You mature psychologically and spiritually, which is essentially the end goal of the individuals journey through life.

While the above payoffs are well and good, the most important reward of all is the joy you will experience when you put others first and free yourself from the chains of self-centeredness. As a certain Dr. Albert Schweitzer wisely puts it, I dont know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know. The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.

About the Author:

James Hunter is the author of the internationally best-selling book The Servant, subtitled A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership. Now translated into nine (9) languages, The Servant teaches the time less principles of Servant Leadership and is the text used in many MBA and other higher education curriculum around the world.