WOULD you like to become a servant? The world is probably filled with people who dream to become leaders. But only a few want to assume the role of being servants. But society continuously looks for leaders who have the heart to serve – those who primarily desire to serve instead of desiring to be a leader.
Robert Greenleaf's essay about The Servant as Leader published in 1970 and Servant Leadership in 1977 proposed that the best leaders were servants first. He outlines the key tools for a servant-leader to include listening, empathy, persuasion, foresight, conceptualization, and pragmatic measurements of outcomes.
Greenleaf cites that service ought to be the distinguishing characteristic of leadership to create a stronger society and that the people themselves “would find greater joy in their lives if they raised the servant aspect of their leadership and built more serving institutions.” Servant leadership offers a different paradigm of leadership that aims to influence the hearts and minds of people, organizations, and society.
Dr. Stephen Covey, author of Principle-Centered Leadership, in his review of Greenleaf’s work, said, “learning that this kind of empowerment, which is what servant-leadership represents, is one of the key principles that, based on practice, not talk, will be the deciding point between an organization’s enduring success or its eventual extinction.”
Dr. Ann McGee-Cooper and Duane Trammell, authors of Being the Change: Profiles from Our Servant Leadership Learning, in her review of Greenleaf’s book, said, "community servant-leadership is not about a personal quest for power, prestige, or material rewards. Instead, from this perspective, leadership begins with a true motivation to serve others”.
A leader must know where to go. And not to constantly justify the preservation of a system based on uncertainty. Greenleaf stresses that “the very essence of leadership, going out ahead to show the way, derives from more than usual openness to inspiration. Why would anybody accept the leadership of another except that the other sees more clearly where it is best to go? Perhaps this is the current problem: too many who presume to lead do not see more clearly and, in defense of their inadequacy, they all the more strongly argue that the 'system' must be preserved—a fatal error in this day of candor."
In my quest for more servant-leaders, I am not just encouraging young Filipinos to register and vote. I am encouraging young Filipinos to run for years. For years, I have been lecturing about the principle of inundation in schools and students’ organizations. You cannot remove dirty water from the glass where what is constantly poured into is also dirty running water. Run and run clean so dirty water becomes eventually clear. Wash away the dirt and scums of this country. Eventually, they will become irrelevant by the natural course of things. Their strategies are already archaic- and it's clearly showing. This is your future at stake - run. But if you are young and yet resembles the dirty water in the glass - do not add yourself to the filth!
Many of those in my generation failed in our effort to use ourselves as proof for transformative politics that inspire servant leadership. The kind that joins the arena and creates systemic changes for more transformative leaders to have a chance. But while I now step away from the actual arena of politics to give way to the younger servant-leaders, I will remain an active part of our country's transformation.
We all made mistakes in the past. But there is still hope. This 2022 could be the last chance my generation can effectively design the future we aspire for ourselves and our children. Let us do everything in our power to push systemic change.
Let us fight fake personalities, money and patronage, abuse of office and government resources, and media influence, trolling and fake news, force or fear, digital cheating, “utang na loob” and derogatory tactics and means to influence our choices in 2022.
Regardless of our choices, let us help our country choose based on conscience, truthful information, proper metrics based on functions and mandated deliverables for each position, and deep concern for the long-term future of this country. Let us disallow politicians from making governance their playground because governance could mean our lives and the lives of our children.
Let us imagine a nation of Filipinos whose respect for ourselves extend to respect for our right to choose. Let us strongly dream for a nation that is worth not only loving but respecting. Let us respect ourselves first.