Servant Leadership: Easier Said than Done.

A Short Story, Not a Blog…

There is not a book, keynote or podcast that could have taught me the lesson I just encountered regarding leadership and the constant pursuit. When you think you are smarter, think you are better, or think you are the best leader, that is when life will show up to teach you a lesson.

This is a simple story. Not too long, but it is intended for the people that want to read, not just scroll.

After a weekend of all things sports and driving way too long on I-4 in Florida, I succumbed to American Convenience and chose a Walmart delivery for the week’s provisions. As if I have to justify my imminent laziness, but my time, on a rainy afternoon, was more valuable than shopping. The shopping requests rivaled what you unashamedly place on Amazon, as a service to try out their latest, forever Duracell rabbit robot to see if they could get it right. Beta testing if you will. I know how Walmart delivery works. It’s humans! Real life people who do their best to pick the right carton of grapes or perfectly ripe, for your liking, avocados. People with emotion. Hearts. I do not love Walmart, but I love the app and the people. I have ever had a bad experience with a Walmart delivery person. One time I accidently ordered 5 gallons of milk. Each one arrived perfectly placed on my porch. I wish I knew what that person thought as they grabbed 5 gallons of milk.

The order was on the way. A few minutes until they would be in my driveway. I was making a kid’s dinner plate. I quietly mentioned to my boys, as if I was awaiting their approval, that we should go outside and help the delivery driver. Clearly, I was not confident, given my hesitant conviction to offer assistance. I did the worst parenting fail. I asked a subjective question from little people. “Should we go help the driver?”

Thinking they would immediately say “Yes.” I was surprised when they said “No.”

“Mom, they are a delivery driver, it is their job to deliver things.” Not untrue. But a bit entitled. Ugh. I did not love that response from my boys. The only response I had, “What if you were a delivery driver in the rain, would you want someone to help you?”

Following my words, I walked into the garage, opened the door and did my best to make the best path for the loot. It was pouring. All three large umbrellas I have for perpetual weekend soccer and Florida rain are in the back of my car. I thought about going to car to get umbrellas. But man, it was pouring.

In my head, I heard Blake saying, “Mom, that is their job.”

I sat there, fighting with my comfort, my need for convenience and being an empathetic human. A servant leader. She pulled up, went around to the back for a bit. As I watched from my garage, her standing in the rain, getting soaked, I said to myself, “Sara, do the right thing, GO help her. Get uncomfortable, let the rain hit you.”

I ran out, we giggled, laughed and ran like mad for cover. “Just put everything here.” She graciously accepted the drop off zone.

She was drenched. In a similar fashion to asking yet another question I know the answer to, I asked, “Can I get you a towel to dry off?” Of course she said “No” like any normal human would do. No way am I going to ask a stranger for a towel. While she said “No”, I saw in her eyes a big “Yes!” I asked my oldest to go grab a towel. He did. I was thinking one of the Amazon hand towels that come in a quantity of 12; just in case you need to throw one away like it’s a paper towel. He grabbed her a plush, beach towel! I loved it.

She dried off and handed it back to me. I told her, “Keep it. You are going to need it tonight.” She just said, “Thank you.”

I’ve read books about servant leadership and what it means. Of course, we all want and claim to be empathic, selfless, servant leaders. We try our hardest. Servant leadership is not an innate decision. Not something that comes natural. It is a decision to be accountable, to yourself, to those watching you. An option to be uncomfortable in all that you have achieved and what you should be. Servant leadership is the day to day, not the mountain high.

Sometimes accountability is the best thing you can have in order to be the best leader. Leadership is not about you. It’s not for you. Leading is a selfless role that finds pure joy in sitting in the background; setting an example, making space for others to rise up and accept their decision when it outshines yours.

No matter how far we get, how many people we lead, how many one-on-one’s, leading is simply growing and understanding what you lack. I believed I was at a place that I could say a 100x over that I would run in the rain to help someone I prepaid a service and tip to do the job. When I was confronted with the actual decision, it was not as easy as I expected, or advice, I would, without hesitation, give to others.

All to say, do not let opportunities of contemplation pass you by. I have to believe the best way to become a better leader is to be challenged by the things that are easy to say, yet difficult to do.

As my mom would say, “Walk a mile in another one’s moccasins.”

Sunday Sermons at Home,

Sara