服務別人的理念是否「配不上」你？
By Robert J. Tamasy
我偶然間發現了一段讓我駐足深思的引文，其中有一位「匿名者」這麼說：「如果你看不起服務他人，領導他人對你而言就遙不可及。」後來我做出這樣的結論：「他完全正確。」
我讀過很多關於領導力的書，但是沒有任何一個比上面的描述更為深刻。我們常常把領導者看做是發布命令的人，書寫像是命令的備忘錄，為其他人制定目標。但最有權勢與影響力的領導者是了解服務他人真諦的人。
已故的商業主管和多本領導力書籍的作者馬克斯•德•普里(Max DePree)說：「領導者的首要責任是定義現實。最後是說謝謝。在這兩者之間，領導者是一個僕人。」根據甘地的說法，「找到自己的最好方法就是在服務別人中失去自我。」這兩者似乎與我們在許多職場「領導者」身上觀察到的情況背道而馳。
更早之前，富有洞察力的馬丁•路德•金恩博士就觀察到：「不是每個人都能出名。但是每個人都可以變得偉大，因為偉大是由服務決定的。你沒有大學學位就可以服務……你不必知道愛因斯坦的相對論就能服務。你不必弄懂物理學中第二個熱力學理論就有能力服務。你只需要一個充滿恩典的心和一個由愛而生的靈魂。」羅伯·格林里夫(Robert Ko. Greenleaf)，《僕人領導》(Servant Leadership)一書的作者也寫道，「領導者做出的第一個也是最重要的選擇就是服務，若非如此，人的領導能力將會嚴重受限。」
回顧我自己的職業生涯，毫無疑問，對我的生活產生最正面影響的老闆是那些保持僕人態度的老闆。的確，他們有該完成的責任，以及每天應達到的目標和成果。但我總覺得他們有把我最關心的事物放在心上，他們的願望是幫助我成功，或者像其中一位老闆所說的：「協助你蓬勃發展。」
僕人領袖的終極典範是耶穌基督。事實上，在談到祂自己的時候，耶穌提出了這個引人注目，甚至是令人震驚的宣言：「因為人子來，並不是要受人的服事，乃是要服事人，並且要捨命作多人的贖價。」（馬可福音10章 45節）
耶穌仍在世上的時候，祂給那些跟隨他的人雋永深刻的教導。祂醫治了許多前來尋求祂，患有各種疾病的人。但最重要的是，祂透過在十字架上放棄自己的生命，成為贖罪祭–神學家稱之為人類罪惡的「贖價」。
在另一個場合，耶穌明確表示這個僕人服事的原則不只是給祂自己的，而是要給所有選擇跟隨祂的人。「是誰為大？是坐席的呢？是服事人的呢？不是坐席的大嗎？然而，我在你們中間如同服事人的。」（路加福音22章27節）使徒彼得總結這一切，寫下了自我犧牲的定義：「你們蒙召原是為此；因基督也為你們受過苦，給你們留下榜樣，叫你們跟隨他的腳蹤行。」（彼得前書2章21節）
以服務他人的心態生活–這，才是一個值得追隨的領導者 。
© 2019. Robert J. TamasyIt 是企業巔峰: 給今日職場從箴言而來永恆的智慧 一書的作者。也與導師之心的作者David A. Stoddard 合著Tufting Legacies。編輯多本著作包括Mike Landry. Bob的書: 透過苦難成長。MikeLandry. Bob的網站為 www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com , 他的雙週部落格為: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com
反省與問題討論
你對「如果你看不起服務他人，領導他人對你而言就遙不可及」此一說法的直接反應是什麼？ 你覺得為什麼服務他人的概念，很少被認為是有效領導的重要因素？ 你會如何描述自己的領導特質，特別是和「成為他人的僕人」有關的？如果有人稱你為「僕人」，你會有什麼感受？ 你認為高舉耶穌基督作為僕人領袖的榜樣，與21世紀工作場所面臨的挑戰和要求有關嗎？請分享你的看法。
備註：如果你手上有聖經，希望閱讀更多和這個主題有關信息，請參考下面的經文：
馬太福音6章24節
6:24 「一個人不能事奉兩個主；不是惡這個、愛那個，就是重這個、輕那個。你們不能又事奉 神，又事奉瑪門（瑪門：財利的意思）。」
馬太福音11章29節
11:29 我心裏柔和謙卑，你們當負我的軛，學我的樣式；這樣，你們心裏就必得享安息。
馬太福音16章24節
16:24於是耶穌對門徒說：「若有人要跟從我，就當捨己，背起他的十字架來跟從我。
馬太福音20章20-28節
20:20 那時，西庇太兒子的母親同她兩個兒子上前來拜耶穌，求他一件事。
20:21 耶穌說：「你要甚麼呢？」她說：「願你叫我這兩個兒子在你國裏，一個坐在你右邊，一個坐在你左邊。」
20:22 耶穌回答說：「你們不知道所求的是甚麼；我將要喝的杯，你們能喝嗎？」他們說：「我們能。」
20:23 耶穌說：「我所喝的杯，你們必要喝；只是坐在我的左右，不是我可以賜的，乃是我父為誰預備的，就賜給誰。」
20:24 那十個門徒聽見，就惱怒他們弟兄二人。
20:25 耶穌叫了他們來，說：「你們知道外邦人有君王為主治理他們，有大臣操權管束他們。
20:26 只是在你們中間，不可這樣；你們中間誰願為大，就必作你們的用人；
20:27 誰願為首，就必作你們的僕人。
20:28 正如人子來，不是要受人的服事，乃是要服事人，並且要捨命，作多人的贖價。」
馬可福音10章44節
10:44 在你們中間，誰願為首，就必作眾人的僕人。
約翰福音13章1-17節
13: 1 逾越節以前，耶穌知道自己離世歸父的時候到了。他既然愛世間屬自己的人，就愛他們到底。
13: 2 吃晚飯的時候，魔鬼已將賣耶穌的意思放在西門的兒子加略人猶大心裏。
13: 3 耶穌知道父已將萬有交在他手裏，且知道自己是從 神出來的，又要歸到 神那裏去，
13: 4 就離席站起來，脫了衣服，拿一條手巾束腰，
13: 5 隨後把水倒在盆裏，就洗門徒的腳，並用自己所束的手巾擦乾。
13: 6 挨到西門•彼得，彼得對他說：「主啊，你洗我的腳嗎？」
13: 7 耶穌回答說：「我所做的，你如今不知道，後來必明白。」
13 :8 彼得說：「你永不可洗我的腳！」耶穌說：「我若不洗你，你就與我無分了。」
13: 9 西門•彼得說：「主啊，不但我的腳，連手和頭也要洗。」
13:10 耶穌說：「凡洗過澡的人，只要把腳一洗，全身就乾淨了。你們是乾淨的，然而不都是乾淨的。」
13:11 耶穌原知道要賣他的是誰，所以說：「你們不都是乾淨的。」
13:12 耶穌洗完了他們的腳，就穿上衣服，又坐下，對他們說：「我向你們所做的，你們明白嗎？
13:13 你們稱呼我夫子，稱呼我主，你們說的不錯，我本來是。
13:14 我是你們的主，你們的夫子，尚且洗你們的腳，你們也當彼此洗腳。
13:15 我給你們作了榜樣，叫你們照著我向你們所做的去做。
13:16 我實實在在地告訴你們，僕人不能大於主人，差人也不能大於差他的人。
13:17 你們既知道這事，若是去行就有福了。
IS THE IDEA OF SERVING OTHERS “BELOW” YOU?
By Robert J. Tamasy
Once in a while I come across a quotation that causes me to stop to ponder, and then conclude, “You know, that is exactly right.” One of them, by some fellow who goes by the name “Anonymous,” declares, “If serving is below you, leadership is beyond you.”
I have read many books on leadership, but cannot think of any statement more profound than the one above. Too often we perceive leaders as individuals who issue orders, write memos that read more like mandates, and establish goals for everyone else to accomplish. But the most powerful, most influential leaders are those who understand the impact of serving others.
The late business executive and author of several books on leadership, Max DePree, stated, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” According to Mahatma Gandhi, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Both seem to run counter to what we usually observe from many “leaders” in the workplace.
Then there is the longer, but highly insightful observation by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Not everybody can be famous. But everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service. You don”t have to have a college degree to serve…. You don”t have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don”t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.” Robert K. Greenleaf, author of the aptly titled book, Servant Leadership, wrote, "The first and most important choice a leader makes is the choice to serve, without which one's capacity to lead is severely limited."
Reviewing my own career, there is no question that the bosses who had the most positive impact on my life were those who maintained an attitude of being servants. Yes, they had responsibilities to fulfill, along with goals and objectives to meet every day. But I always felt they had my best interests at heart, that their desire was to help me succeed, or as one expressed it, “to enable you to flourish.”
The ultimate example of the servant leader was Jesus Christ. In fact, speaking of Himself, Jesus made this striking, perhaps even shocking declaration: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
During His time on earth, Jesus offered profound lessons to those who followed Him. He healed many that came to Him suffering from a variety of afflictions and diseases. But most of all, He served by surrendering His own life on a cross, becoming the atoning sacrifice – theologians call it the “propitiation” for the sins of mankind.
On another occasion, Jesus made clear this principle of servanthood was not just for Himself, but for all who choose to follow Him. “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not to the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). The apostle Peter summed it up, writing about self-sacrifice, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
The leader who lives according to a mindset of serving others – that leader is the one worth following.
© 2019. Robert J. Tamasy has written Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today”s Workplace; Tufting Legacies; coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring, and edited numerous other books, including Advancing Through Adversity by Mike Landry. Bob”s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
What was your initial response to the statement, “If serving is below you, leadership is beyond you”? Why do you think the concept of serving others is rarely considered to be an important element of effective leadership? How would you describe your own leadership qualities, especially as they relate to this idea of being a servant to others? If someone were to call you a “servant,” how would you feel? Do you think holding up the example of Jesus Christ as a servant leader is relevant to the challenges and demands of the 21st century workplace? Why or why not?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this topic, consider the following passages: Matthew 6:24, 11:29, 16:24, 20:20-28; Mark 10:44; John 13:1-17
