2. BRIAN THE TYRANT
There I was, it was the first day of class and my second great teacher was in
the midst of getting the class ready for an activity. This activity was one which I
dreaded the most. Why? Well, because it involved taking leadership!
Some say that leaders are born and some leaders are made. I can attest to
the fact that I was not born a leader. As the teacher broke the class into
groups of five, she randomly picked one leader for each group. Luckily, I was
spared that day. Another student named Brian was picked the leader of this
group. Brian was what most would call a natural born leader. Brian called the
shots, was very assertive, and seemed to know what to do in every situation.
But many of the kids didn’t like being on Brian’s team during these activities.
Though Brian was a great leader, he was extremely mean. Brian would spare
himself from hurt and hard work by simply making someone else do it; some
would call this delegating. Brian always got the job done but not after making
a few other kids upset. As long as Brian’s team won and Brian was at the
forefront of recognition, it was a success.

3. SOUND FAMILIAR?
Perhaps you’ve worked for a boss, manager, or college that resembles Brian’s
leadership style. In fact, I will even go as far as to say that people such as
Brian are praised in our culture as “Great Leaders”.
But I want to argue that there’s a leadership style that gets the job done
successfully but associates and treats people differently. This leadership
model is called “The Servant Leadership Model”. This amazing model
was first coined by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader. This style
can be defined as a person who leads with the purpose of serving people first.
More specifically, the model for this leadership style can be seen in the life of
Jesus Christ.

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
EMPATHY
Understanding people and being able to empathize with others is an important
characteristic of a servant leader. Using the ability to listen to the needs of
clients and colleges is the gift of the most successful servant leaders.
AWARENESS
Being aware of those who are around you is important. The servant leader
pays attention to the unique gifts of those whom he/she works with. Also while
guiding those who may seem weak in an area.

5. CHARACTERISTICS OF
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
• INTEGRITY
The servant leader which strives on integrity pays close attention to what
kinds of projects he/she takes on. Questions like “will this hurt other people?”
and “does this go against my beliefs and morals?” determine whether or not a
servant leader will commit to a task.
• COMMITMENT
Not every project or business deal is just another step on the ladder of
success. Commitment to the servant leader means that he/she will commit
themselves to the project until its been completed or it ends. The servant
leader will not leave a job in the middle of a project to accept a better paying
job.