Mark Deterding
Through wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. (Proverbs 24:3-4)
Who benefits the most from your servant leadership?
The people in your workplace?
Or the people in your own home?
Be honest.
As professionals, we work hard to learn and apply the behaviors of servant leadership. Unfortunately, I often have leaders tell me their family members don’t get the full benefits of their learning. Instead of their best wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, they get their leftovers.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
I know you don’t want it to be that way. Now more than ever, servant leaders are called by God to lead the way in building up our family members and our communities. To accomplish this, we must apply servant leadership not only at work, but – equally ‒ inside of our own homes. We must make that dual investment.
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
You can become more intentional about leading Jesus’ way within your own family. And you can have fun doing it!
Here’s how:
1. Acknowledge the Need for Family Training in Servant Leadership.
Does each member of your family understand what God put them on earth to do?
Do they know how much you value them, and how important they are to the family and to society? Or, are there people within your family who feel … lost? Off-track? Struggling to reach their potential?
Because you read this blog, you’ve already been exposed to the core principles of servant leadership. You have awareness of how to step into a life of meaningful service. Embrace your awareness! Value it! And most importantly share it! It makes you a tremendous asset to the people you love.
No matter how old or young they are, you can take steps to guide your family members to live lives of intention, significance, and deep joy.
The first step you can take is to acknowledge the need that exists within your family for your insight about servant leadership. Recognize and honor your role in getting your family members the support they need. Praise God for the gifts you have to offer to the people you love the most!
2. Open a Channel of Communication Around Servant Leadership in Your Home.
Once you’ve embraced the value of your awareness of servant leadership and committed to applying your knowledge of servant principles within your own family, your next step is to open up a channel of communication so that you can begin offering your support.
Consider, where is servant leadership already alive inside your family? And, where are people struggling to live a life of fulfilling service, as God intended? The only way to find out is to ask! Start the conversation.
At work, you may have already experienced the process of discerning one’s servant purpose and learning to live it out effectively and sustainably. You may feel comfortable guiding your family members to pinpoint their purpose, vision, values, and the key responsibility areas that will support them to live a life of service that pleases God. If so, build a cadence and process of how you will consistently communicate and bring the principles of servant leadership into your home.
Or, you may need help to launch and guide this conversation. Consider receiving counseling or family coaching to deepen your family’s servant culture.
3. Increase the Occasions When Your Family Members Experience True Significance.
You understand the impact of applying servant leadership in the workplace. You’ve seen the extensive positive results.
Imagine what will change when you provide that same level of focus to your family; when they are expertly supported to learn and apply the principles of servant leadership. The importance of their work, and their self-worth will certainly be enhanced. Their lives will be changed, forever.
Servant leadership is a transformative leadership style. This means that when people come into contact with it, their work becomes significant. People begin to understand what it means to pursue a life focused not just on material success, but also on spiritual significance. But it is not a part-time job. As leaders we need to be focusing on lifting people up every chance we get, all the time.
Leading family members to become the servant leader that God created them to be just might be the greatest gift that you can give them. It will have positive generational impact.
Do you want this transformation for your family? It’s up to you. Put the stake in the ground and commit to building that family culture that you desire. Don’t leave it to chance.