Braving the Storm: The Sacrifice and Survival of Servant Leaders

In the rugged terrain of the Colorado mountains, amidst a relentless snowstorm at 9,000 feet, I found myself in profound solitude at Caleb's Mountain Ranch* (our off-grid retreat center).

The biting cold pierced my layers of clothing, and in the translucency of swirling snowflakes, I noticed a solitary figure standing just 50 feet away.

It was a bighorn ram bravely weathering the storm with stoic determination. In that moment, a profound connection of the souls seemed to form. The ram symbolized strength, vigilance, protection, and sacrifice as if God Himself were saying, "I keep watch over you; go therefore and do likewise."

Reflecting, I couldn't help but draw parallels to the role of a servant leader. Just as the ram stood firm against the elements, the servant leader stands steadfast in adversity, sacrificing for the greater good. They lead by example.

Understanding Servant Leadership:

Reflecting on the ram's symbolism, I was inspired to intertwine the attributes of a servant leader with those associated with rams in a biblical context. The comparison is relevant since servant leaders often relate their personal mission to their faith or a higher purpose.

Biblically, a ram symbolizes:

• Leading by Example: Watching, inspiring, and motivating through actions, empowerment, and support, embodying the values they wish to instill in their flock.

• Sacrificial Service: Much like the divine intervention often associated with rams, willingly making sacrifices for the benefit of others, embodying selflessness.

• Quiet Strength: As with the ram standing resolute in a storm, a servant leader embodies resilience, stability, and inner strength based on conviction in their values.

• Humility and Empathy: Prioritizing the needs and well-being of others, recognizing and rewarding their contributions, and showing compassion towards their struggles.

• Empowerment and Support: Like a ram guiding the flock to safety, a servant leader opens doors for others to reach their full potential with wisdom and grace.

Surviving and Thriving as a Servant Leader:

Despite their many noble attributes, servant leaders often get sacrificed. Because of their humility, they can be overlooked. Their service can be taken for granted. They can be marginalized by the ambitious or prideful out of misplaced trust. Their giving nature leaves them vulnerable in toxic environments. Under the pressures of leadership, they can burn out.

Servant leaders must learn to fight constructively.

I have experienced much of the above and might have learned much from the ram. Theirs is a world of combat and competition, internally and from predators.

Servant leaders must learn to fight constructively. This begins by realizing that hard work is not always rewarded, acknowledging their vulnerabilities, and developing personal survival strategies.

Critical ingredients of a servant leader's personal survival strategy include:

1. Practice Discernment: Assess the motives and behavior of others, establishing healthy boundaries and expectations.

2. Build a Support Network: Surround yourself with mentors, sponsors, and peers who provide guidance, advocacy, and encouragement.

3. Prioritize and Align: Focus on tasks that leverage your strengths and passions and meet organizational needs. Avoid engaging in activities that don't contribute to these goals.

4. Define Your Strategy: Establish clear, achievable goals that reflect your personal purpose and the organization's objectives. Learn to decline tasks that risk overcommitment and burnout. (Leverage this checklist.)

5. Avoid Isolation: Proactively seek support during difficult times, acknowledging the vulnerability of self-sufficiency and isolation.

6. Cultivate Resilience: Learn from setbacks, own your mistakes, embrace feedback, and channel insights into personal growth.

7. Practice Self-Care: Maintain physical, mental, and emotional well-being to sustain long-term effectiveness.

8. Recognize Differences: Not everyone shares your values. Appreciate diverse opinions and approaches. Embrace disagreement. Your opponent is not always your enemy.

9. Communicate Effectively: Foster open communication and set clear expectations with your team and superiors. Say what you need.

10. Seek Continuous Growth: Embrace learning opportunities aligned with your purpose and aspirations, striving for continual improvement.

11. Lead by Example: Demonstrate integrity, courage, and authenticity in your words and actions. Protect your team. Speak up for what is right, including yourself.

12. Stay Grounded in Faith: Draw strength from your faith or higher purpose, trusting in divine guidance. In conflict, lead with vision and shared values.

In Conclusion:

Rams are not petting animals. To succeed in the wild, they must possess the attributes of vigilant protectors and embrace the fact that conflict and combat are sometimes necessary for survival.

Similarly, servant leaders' greatest strengths are resilience, conviction, sacrifice, and love. However, these very qualities can also leave them vulnerable and they must be equipped. Their meekness cannot become weakness.

It is crucial for servant leaders to realistically assess situations, themselves, and others and proactively develop personal survival strategies to thrive amidst adversity.

Purposefully focused, servant leaders create a highly engaged environment where all can flourish.

Leaders who aim to foster a culture of giving would do well to recognize, cultivate, and empower servant leaders. Indeed, as documented in other blogs on this site, organizations with highly engaged employees are more productive and profitable, and servant leaders can be a vital catalyst.

Organizations can clearly message that values and behaviors aligned with servant leadership are encouraged and rewarded by challenging servant leaders to engage others, express their viewpoints, and perhaps exhibit less humility.

Unleashed, encouraged, and purposefully focused, servant leaders create an environment where all can flourish, leading with values of humility, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to winning together.

*Planning a personal or executive retreat? Caleb's Mountain Ranch awaits, on hour west of Colorado Springs. Contact us for more information or to discuss your objectives.

Caleb's Mountain Ranch is the exact geographic center of Colorado. Its rustic, off-the-grid tiny cabins and primitive campsites are the perfect getaway for creative time, an executive retreat, or a personal getaway.