I’ve worked with multiple leaders over the years, but there are two that stand out for me as servant leaders. They were the ones leading both out front and from behind.
I specifically remember one leader routinely jumping in at the end of our weekly event to stack chairs, throw away the trash, and pack away all our lighting equipment. The other leader I’m thinking about would often quietly shrug on an orange vest and could be found greeting in the parking lot before preaching. Often new guests would be surprised to find out that he was actually the pastor! It wasn’t the only thing they did and certainly wasn’t all the time. However, when they were able, they made the intentional choice to lead by serving in what could be seen as “lesser” roles: clean up and parking. And these seemingly small, simple, choices set the culture for staff, leaders, and volunteers.
These conscious choices created a ripple effect:
1 – Increased buy-in and camaraderie from volunteers
It’s tempting to imagine that the Superbowl of Sunday morning is the preaching, while the menial jobs can be outsourced to less important people. And while it might be natural to think about ranking the roles on a Sunday morning from greater to lesser, these intentional choices to serve erased all rankings. Instead, all jobs were vital and needed to be completed.
In the same way that a household must have certain tasks done daily to run smoothly, a church has a variety of jobs that must be done. No one in the family is too important to take out the trash, do the dishes, clean up spills, and change the baby’s diapers. Imagine telling your spouse, “I’m more of an idea person…so I’ll be opting out of the lesser tasks in our home”. It probably wouldn’t go over very well. Rather, everyone pitches in when they see a need. In the same way, the leader jumped in wherever the need was greatest.
As the leaders served alongside the volunteers, it contributed to a “We’re all in this together” mentality. Rather than feeling as though they were working “for” this leader or organization, it felt as though they were working “with” them. It’s always more fun to work together towards a common goal and to feel as though your work is seen, valued, and needed.
2 – Pulled in new volunteers
For better or worse, the senior leader is the most visible person in the organization. The reality is that what this person gives their time and attention to signals importance and value. Newcomers (or regular attenders) would see the leader serving alongside others and their interest would be piqued. It would prime the pump, so to speak, for them to be asked about joining a team.
Their intentionality to serve also spoke volumes about the leader’s character and humility. Even though they drove the vision of the organization, preached multiple services, and lead the staff team, they didn’t see themselves as being above doing some of the household jobs that needed to get done. This, in turn, makes the ask to volunteer that much easier – you aren’t asking someone to do something that you won’t do yourself.
Of course, it must be said that this isn’t possible in all areas of an organization. In fact, the senior leader can not and should not have their hand in every part of the organization. This isn’t an excuse for micromanagement. They should be able to trust their leaders and staff and allow them to lead in their lanes. It’s simply a way to support, lead, and encourage those working on the front lines of an organization by coming alongside and serving as they are able.
I am reminded of an interview I heard between Andy Stanley and Frank Blake, former CEO of Home Depot. When reflecting on the turn around of Home Depot under his tenure as CEO, he credited two weekly tasks. The first was that he made time to put the iconic orange apron and walk the floor of Home Depot, interacting with customers, helping where he could, and getting a sense of the customer and employee’s experience on the ground level. The second was that he would spend time hand writing notes of appreciation to various store managers, corporate leaders, and store associates. He wanted to lead well from both the top and the bottom of the organization. He didn’t have to do either one of these things. In fact, I suspect his calendar would say he was too busy for either of them. However, looking back, he credited much of Home Depot’s success to the hour or two each week he spent on these seemingly “unimportant” tasks.
What would it look like to not only lead from the front of the organization, but from below, or the back?
Thinking about your week, where could you come alongside your volunteers or staff members to support, encourage, and serve in a new way?
Maybe it’s just 30 minutes or an hour out of your 40 hour week, but it could possibly become the most effective time you spend this week.
Katie Evans 