Servant Leadership is one of the leadership styles we should all aspire to have become our baseline leadership style.
Leadership isn’t about power, prestige, or titles. It’s about service.
And no one modeled servant leadership better than Jesus.
When we think of great leaders, we often picture someone who commands authority. Someone who stands at the front, gives orders, and expects obedience.
However, Jesus turned that idea on its head.
He led by serving. He led by loving. He led by sacrificing.
Leadership Through Humility
The night before His crucifixion, Jesus did something shocking. He got down on His knees, took a towel, and washed His disciples’ feet.
Think about that for a second.
This is the King of Kings, the Son of God. And He’s washing dirty, dusty, sweat-covered feet.
John 13:14-15 (KJV) records His words:
“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.”
Jesus wasn’t just telling His disciples to serve. He was showing them.
Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. Jesus had every right to demand service, yet He chose to serve. That’s authentic servant leadership.
Leadership Through Love
Jesus didn’t lead through intimidation. He led through love.
Everything He did, from healing the sick to feeding the hungry, was motivated by deep compassion and love for people.
When crowds followed Him, He didn’t turn them away or see them as a burden.
He saw their struggles, understood their needs, and responded with kindness.
He cared for them, not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well.
Mark 10:45 (KJV) sums it up:
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Servant leadership is about putting others before yourself. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s right.
And Jesus didn’t just love those who were easy to love. He loved the outcasts, the sinners, the very people others rejected.
Leadership Through Sacrifice
Perhaps the greatest display of Jesus’ servant leadership was the cross.
He didn’t just serve in small ways or offer partial sacrifices. He gave everything: His life, His body, His very essence, for the sake of humanity’s redemption.
Philippians 2:7-8 (KJV) says:
“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
True leadership isn’t about what you gain. It’s about what you’re willing to give.
Jesus gave His life. Not because He had to, but because He chose to.
Applying Servant Leadership Today
So how do we take Jesus’ example of servant leadership and apply it in our own leadership?
1. Serve First
Too many people chase leadership titles without genuinely understanding what leadership entails. Jesus didn’t cling to status; He took up a towel and washed his disciples’ feet.
Ask yourself daily:
“Who can I serve today?”
Maybe it’s covering for a team member who’s struggling, listening to a coworker who’s overwhelmed, or simply picking up the slack without needing recognition.
Leadership begins with identifying a need and addressing it. No fanfare, no spotlight; just service.
2. Lead with Love
Jesus led with compassion. He saw people deeply, listened well, and responded to their real needs. That’s a challenge in a culture where leadership is often about asserting control and driving results at any cost.
Love in leadership looks like patience when mistakes are made. It looks like encouragement instead of criticism. It means confronting issues with truth, but always in kindness.
Without love, even the most impressive leadership means nothing.
3. Be Humble
In the workplace, it’s easy to think, “That’s not my job.” But servant leaders flip that script. They don’t avoid lowly tasks; they model greatness in them.
Jesus washed feet.
What’s today’s version of that in your workplace?
Maybe it’s taking time to clean up after a team meeting, handling a tough customer conversation, or staying late to help someone who’s falling behind. These acts of humility are powerful. People don’t forget them.
Servant leadership says, “I’m not above this. I’m here with you, not above you.”
4. Sacrifice when Necessary
Leadership often requires choosing what’s best for others, even when it costs you. Jesus gave up comfort, convenience, and ultimately His life for us.
We’re not called to die on a cross, but we are called to die to self.
In other words, while Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was unique and can’t be replicated, we are still called to make personal sacrifices in our own lives to follow Him.
That might mean sacrificing time, setting aside ego, or giving up personal gain for the benefit of the team or the mission.
Romans 12:1 (KJV) encourages us:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Reasonable service. That’s what servant leadership looks like. It’s not always flashy, but faithful.
Wrapping Up
Jesus redefined leadership.
He showed us that the most outstanding leaders are the greatest servants. True leadership isn’t about position, but it’s about purpose. It’s about humbling ourselves, loving others, and being willing to sacrifice for their good.
If we want to lead well, we must lead like Him.
Whether in the workplace or at home, we have the opportunity to follow His example every day. We can choose to serve, to love, and to put others first.
Because at the end of the day, leadership isn’t about how many people follow us.
It’s about how well we follow Him.
