Finally, Gentle Reader, consider that a servant-leader is. . .
Concerned with Choice. Here are some of the choices that the servant-leader makes:
Choosing to be awake & aware — and therefore, choosing to be disturbed [Greenleaf]
Choosing to be motivated by [is aware of what motivates him or her and chooses his or her motivation]. . .[e.g., fear, love, care, control, anxiety, certain virtues and/or certain vices, deep tacit assumptions, stereotypes, prejudices and certain guiding life-principles]
Choosing to be unconditionally response-able & choosing to be appropriately reactive — NOT choosing unconditional blame.
Choosing to ‘grow’ and to enable/support the growth of others [P.I.E.S. & Greenleaf’s ‘Best Test’] — developing one’s gifts, talents, abilities and capacities
Choosing to be fully human — that is to be living paradoxes (Greenleaf)
Choosing to act with intentionality and purpose and to accept the intended and unintended consequences
Choosing, to the best of one’s ability/capacity to use his or her power ethically — and to develop a greater capacity to do so
Choosing to be a ‘reflective-participant-observer’ in one’s own life — experience plus reflection is the learning
Choosing to ‘close the gap’ between what one espouses and what one ‘lives out’
In closing this five part piece I invite us to reflect upon the words of the great German Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke. Rilke writes: I would like finally to advise you to grow through your development quietly and seriously. . .you can interrupt it in no more violent manner than by looking outside to questions which only your inner most feelings in your most silent hour can answer.
Servant As Leader 