In an effort to bring about peace in South Sudan Pope Francis invited the rival leaders of the country for a two-day spiritual retreat at the Vatican. Towards the end of the retreat, on 11 April 2019, the Pope surprised the world by kissing the feet of the rival leaders, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar as well as Kiir’s three vice presidents. After he performed this unusual gesture he exhorted them: “I am asking you as a brother to stay in peace. I am asking you with my heart, let us go forward.” The gesture of Pope Francis is an extraordinary example of servant leadership.
Servant leadership has been in existence for thousands of years. However, it is only recently that people have begun to study it systematically, ascertain its characteristics and popularize it. The first to do so was Robert K. Greenleaf, who in 1970 published a paper titled, “The Servant as Leader.” He followed it up with other books such as Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness (1977) and The Servant as Religious Leader (1982).
What is Servant Leadership?
That which characterizes a servant leader is the motive, the motive to serve others. Greenleaf says: “The servant-leader is servant first … It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, serve first.” In order to serve one may choose to become a leader. This is different from wanting to be a leader first, maybe in order to satisfy one’s thirst for power or for material possessions. Once leadership is established such people may also try to serve, but for them service comes second.
Jose Kuttianimattathil, sdb
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