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Similarities and Differences Between Greenleaf’s Principles of Servant Leadership and

Those Presented in the Bible

Similarities and Differences Between Greenleaf’s Principles of Servant Leadership and

Those Presented in the Bible

Summary

Green’sLeaf

1. Guides followers.
2. Goal-oriented and qualified

Bibble Passage

1. Does not exercise authority over

followers

2. No qualifications for servant leadership

In his book, Servant as Leader, Robert Greenleaf describes a number of servant-
leadership principles. The principles provide valuable insights into various issues of
leadership that continue to be relevant to this day. However, it is important to note that
Robert Greenleaf’s book was not the first one to discuss at length the concept of servant-
leadership; the Bible too discusses similar concept. In fact, the servant-leadership principles
that Robert Greenleaf discusses in his book share many similarities with the Bible’s
explanation of the concept. This paper examines these similarities as well as differences
between Greenleaf’s servant leadership and Biblical passages that deal with the same
concept.

Serves first,
leads second
Fair treatment
for the least
privileged.

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Similarities

A key similarity between the Bible and Greenleaf’s portrayal of servant-leadership is
that they both consider a servant-leader as someone who serves first and the leads and not the
other way round. In Matthew 20: 20-28, the mother of the sons of Zebedee comes to Jesus
and requests that Jesus allows her sons to sit on His right and left. Jesus lets her know that He
cannot grant such request. Noticing that the request had irked the disciples, Jesus lets them to
know what He expects of them as leaders. Unlike rulers of Gentiles, the disciples should not
lord over those below them or exercise authority over them. Instead, they should be servants
of their subordinates. He says, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your
servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” This statement is a clear
articulation by Jesus that for a servant leader, service comes first and leadership second.
Greenleaf’s portrayal of servant-leadership is similar to that found in Bible passages, such as
the one discussed above. According to Greenleaf, a servant-leader naturally serves first and
then later on consciously aspires to lead (Greenleaf, 2007).

Another similarity between the Bible and Greenleaf’s concept of servant-leadership is
the manner in which the less privileged members of society are treated under servant
leadership. According to Greenleaf, the least privileged members in society do not get
harmed when they are under the authority of a servant leader (Greenleaf, 2007). In Matthew
20: 25, Jesus contrasts the leadership He expects from them with the leadership that is usually
exercised by the Gentiles. Jesus explains that unlike the Gentiles who lord over their subjects,
the disciples should instead be servants of those who are subordinate to them. Since leaders
who serve their subordinates cannot harm them, the advice that Jesus gives to His disciples
implies, just like Greenleaf explained, that the least privileged members of society will not be
treated badly under servant-leadership.

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Differences

Despite these similarities, there are also some differences between Biblical and
Greenleaf’s concept of servant leadership. According to Greenleaf, a major characteristic of
servant leadership is that such leaders guide their followers (Greenleaf, 2007). The leader
takes initiatives and risks and asks people to follow their lead. This is not the idea of servant-
leadership that Jesus promotes when he addresses his disciples in Matthew 20:20-28. In
Matthew 20:25, Jesus tells His disciples not be like the Gentiles whose high officials exercise
authority over those that are under them. In other words, Jesus is opposed to leaders
exercising authority over their followers. Instead, they should simply serve and let their
example be followed by those that they are leading.

The other difference between the Bible and Greenleaf’s idea of servant leadership is
Greenleaf’s characterization of a servant leader as being goal-oriented and qualified
(Greenleaf, 2007). According to Greenleaf, a servant leader sets goals, articulates them to
their followers, and is qualified enough to successfully pursue the goals. That is not the same
idea that Jesus had of servant leadership. Jesus does not talk of any qualifications of the
servant leader. All He says is that servant leaders should be able to serve those under them
and be their slaves. Neither does Jesus talk of servant leaders setting goals for themselves or
their followers. Since servants are supposed to act as slaves and treat their subordinates as
their masters, setting goals for followers would amount to exercising authority over them,
something that Jesus explicitly forbids.

After reading the concept of servant-leadership as explained by Greenleaf and in
various Biblical passages, particularly Matthew 20: 20-28, I am convinced that it is a superior
form of leadership compared to other leadership types. It is a type of leadership that
guarantees fair treatment for all those under a leader. More importantly, I find it attractive

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because it is aligned with my view that the best leaders are those who lead by example, are
humble, and prioritize the needs of their followers over their own needs. A person who has
these characteristics is likely to become a leader through the power of their example. As both
the Biblical verses cited and the writings of Greenleaf reveal, a person who first seeks to
serve fellow humans becomes a leader on account of their services. This view of leadership
can be seen as promoting the concept that one receives power by giving it away.

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References

Greenleaf, R. (2007). The servant as leader. In Corporate ethics and corporate governance
(pp. 79-85). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.