LEADERS WHO SERVE
JOJOKYLE L. CARENCIA
Leaders are the ones who are considered to be part of the top personnel in the organization. They are expected to be one of the best performers of the institution for we believe that they can urge every member to bring out their best for the betterment of the department or the entire corporation. With this, majority think that they are being served by those who are on the middle and bottom part of the organizational chart. But as the time passes by, everything changes. Leadership changes quickly.
One of the trends in education nowadays is servant leadership. From the word itself, this deals more with the school head who serves the school, the teachers, the students, and even the community. This means that principal does work personally in the school. However, it is not limited with physiological functions. It includes physical, mental, emotional, social, and technical tasks for the betterment of the entire learning institution.
Servant leadership is a philosophy. Its core focuses on creating a just and caring world. Its features make it unique compared with the traditional type of leadership. With the traditional, power is very evident from the top personnel, but in servant leadership, power is shared to address the needs of the members of an organization. This is done to help each employee to bring out their best to be productive as much as they can without having the feeling of being overworked. Another thing is that it opens the minds of the members that they are part of the school so their ideas are appreciated as long as it will be for the common good.
Despite its introduction this era in the academe, still, servant leadership is an ancient type of leadership. It is evident in the writing of Tao Te Ching of China that deals with serving people rather than being served. Also, another great example of servant leader is Jesus Christ. His deeds that are written in Four Gospels magnify that serving one another will not make an individual smaller or lower in his positions. It is an act of love.
Those who serve are those who know how to love and they will be loved. These are the leaders who serve.
— oOo—
The author is Head Teacher III at Sta. Maria High School, Sta. Maria, Macabebe, Pampanga