Steve McNeely

Are graduated levels—a chain of command—in the organizational chart helpful or hurtful? How does hierarchy meld with the notion of the leader as servant? Or, should an organization seeking to infuse servant leadership into its culture flatten itself like a pancake run over by a diesel road roller?

Team play is beautiful. There is nothing more rewarding than when a group of individuals submits their self-interest for the good of the team, embrace whatever role they have, and strive for shared success.

Rather than retread Lord Acton’s famous but shopworn quote, I will use my wife’s less-known but equally insightful proverb: “Power makes people go absolutely crazy!”

The two-hour drive from Montego Bay to our destination, Ocho Rios, once a white-knuckle amusement park ride, was made pleasant by a new, modern ribbon of highway and a tour guide who doubled as a driver, peppering his travelogue with frequent horn toots.

Jesus Christ established the principles of servant leadership when He taught: if you want to lead, serve; if you want to be great, act like a slave; if you want to be treated like the elder, behave like the younger. Jesus is counter-intuitive.

How do people buy into decisions? By being an integral part of the process. When I recognize a piece of myself in a decision—even in the smallest of ideas—I have a vested interest in making sure that decision is successful; it makes me successful.