“Leadership through service”–Daily Metta

December 11:

“I take up my task of leading you in this struggle, not as your commander, not as your controller, but as the humble servant of you all.”

–Gandhi (Press Report: August 8, 1942)

There’s a saying about leadership that I first came across while reading the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: “Everyone wants to be the teacher; no one wants to be the disciple.” Gandhi turned this around: the greatest leader would serve others and work for the benefit of the whole, not seeking power, but releasing it for everyone. That is the essence of service, and it should always be understood as a sacred moment in our lives whenever we ask, in whatever circumstance, How can I be of service? It is a sacred realization when we begin on the path of asking ourselves, How can I use my dearest possession–my life–to raise up others, instead of trying to step on others on my way to the top? You don’t need a formal religion for that, but nonviolence is a sine qua non.

Far from a new concept in our world, servant leadership is as old as humanity itself. It’s in our blood. In our evolution. We know it and recognize it, and even expect it of others, but often forget to implement it in our own lives, which is always Step One. As it is with everything good and just to take up as we seek to embody a nonviolent culture.

Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism and author of the Tao Te Ching describes this state beautifully: “The sage stays behind, thus he is ahead. He is detached, thus at one with all. Through selfless action, he attains fulfillment.”
Experiment in Nonviolence:

How can you bring out more servant leadership in yourself and how can you encourage it more in others?