SERVANT LEADERSHIP

In theory, men are the heads of the house. In reality, that leadership of the house has been abused and turned into a platform for men to oppress and malign women. Yet in truth, men, who are the leaders of the house, are supposed to practice servant leadership. Like Christ did. As the son of God, he was born in a manger and had twelve disciples to help him share the gospel. If he was the kind of leader men are, Christ would have simply run things on his own without the apostles and Christianity as we know it would have been an alternative theory. Christ was a servant leader. Which simply means, he led by example.

Dear men, being a servant leader does not mean issuing orders and sitting idly by while the women in your life cater to your every whim and desire. It really is remiss of you as leaders, in the 21st century, to expect women to do all the donkey work and heavy lifting for you. For instance, both you and your significant other have Monday – Friday, 8 – 5 jobs and perhaps she also has class in the evenings or other engagements. You get home before her, tired and hungry, but instead of cooking, you sit back and wait for her to get home even more tired than you are to start dinner. If you have children together, you leave the work of raising them to her and the help and you’re just a figurehead; the guy who keeps food on the table and the lights on. Sometimes that may not even be the case; she may be the breadwinner. So what good are you as a leader? And what example are we setting?

Helping around the home does not diminish your masculinity. Supporting, encouraging and empowering women doesn’t revoke your male card. Neither does being empathetic or human. Those are qualities of servant leaders, the leaders who make an impactful change to the society and elevate those they lead. If we could switch the cultural stereotypes that mislead men into believing that their job stops at providing, professing and protecting, you’d be surprised at how remarkable the mindsets would be. If only men could meet women halfway and also accept to be led when necessary, maybe there wouldn’t be the need for intense feminism after all – because there would be equality and justice for the sexes. Be a team, not a figurehead and a servant. Lead by example.