Introduction
Leadership is a quality that people can be endowed with if they can manage other groups for development. In addition, leadership qualities are formed over a long period, thus becoming the result of a person’s experience. Among leadership types, there is Servant Leadership, the essence of which is the leader’s service to the people in his company/organization (Daft, 2018). This type of Leadership is among the most profitable for the company and the people when judged from moral duty. As a priest, Servant Leadership seems to be the most adapted to my work because my goal is to serve and help people. This research paper analyzes three main components: the Pastor’s relationship with Leadership, the purpose of Servant Leadership, and the personal qualities of the minister.
Regulation of the Management-Pastoral Relationship
Among all other aspects of relationship regulation, the pastoral Leadership and the problem of unity among the “administration” and the Pastor are worth highlighting. The emergence of spiritual Leadership provided fertile ground for the growth of churches and shaped notions of spiritual Leadership and church organization (Daft, 2018). It is worth noting that separating the administrative segment from the spiritual part is not uncommon, and unfortunately, conflicts arise. The result of excessive management control is a real problem with church volunteerism.
Control is a form of government that emphasizes subordination rather than mutual benefit and assistance. In cases of controlling relationships between Management and pastors, the latter often lose interest in spiritual Leadership. The priest should pay attention to spiritual growth and leadership formation because it promotes rapport with the laity and improves relationships with the church. Among all the other disadvantages of such a situation, emphasis should be placed on the decline in material support (e.g., parish shelters can help the homeless) and the risk of negative public attitudes.
Servant Leadership is a form of Leadership that does not allow for contact, so it is essential to form synergistic relationships. Servant Leadership makes it possible to organize the church to improve the spiritual connection between all people (Daft, 2018). Servant Leaders, that is, both the Leadership and the Pastor, will change the direction of the campaign: the first position will be firmly taken by seeing the real needs of parishioners and church workers. Such reform will spur the development of the church by providing a comfortable environment for all people.
In addition to the above, I would like to draw attention to the achievement of harmony. Faith unites people by becoming their spiritual guide and by forming righteous concepts in people. The goal of ministry is personal growth, healthy behavior patterns, and well-being without the benefit of the church or the priest personally. Confusing the concepts of “submission” and “ministry” is the erroneous assumption that individual leadership qualities are lost in a complete transition to Servant Leadership (Daft, 2018). This statement is fundamentally wrong because the Servant Leader gives freedom to his employees, thereby stimulating company growth from within and developing communication skills within the group. The spiritual duties include an individualized approach to each parishioner, as the primary goal is to provide help and moral support. So why would turning all divisions of the church toward Servant Leadership contribute to its decline? On the contrary, the synergistic relationship of the administrative segment and its involvement in spiritual enlightenment will open new avenues for development.
Thus, moving Management and Pastoral interaction away from controlling activities and toward a synergistic relationship is a way of implementing Servant Leadership. The disadvantages are the apparent butler/ruler relationship, leading to a misconception of spiritual administration among the laity (Daft, 2018). Forming relationships using the Servant Leadership system will broaden social attitudes about healthy attitudes toward faith and religion. In addition, synergistic relationships will promote personal and spiritual growth and the concept of empathic relationships with one another.
Purposes of Servant Leadership: Role in Achieving the Inner Harmony of the Church
Leadership ministry goes hand in hand with notions of the priest’s role in spiritual creation. While preaching love for people, the faith also teaches humility and understanding among people. People choose priestly paths for various reasons: some come after trying several approaches and finding themselves, while others define their lives at a young age. Nevertheless, accepting one’s life purpose as serving God is right because it is a solid-willed decision.
Servant Leadership is a lifestyle where the priest focuses on the core concepts of faith, humility, love, understanding, and sense of self. According to Servant Leadership theory, a healthy attitude toward one’s sense of self and place in the world is formed in ministry (Daft, 2018). In my professional life, I would like to pay attention to such aspects as promoting innovation and modern trends, testing employees’ capabilities, and ensuring the well-being of others. First, however, I would like to address the healthy patterns regulated in leadership ministry.
First, it is necessary to identify the goals for which leadership ministry is being developed. Chief among them is to raise authority, not with a leader’s desire to seize power, but so that the figure is meaningful and one can turn to that person for support and advice. People who are just setting out on the path of faith or filled with doubts usually want answers to all questions. Consequently, the minister should turn his spiritual guidance to them and help resolve these people’s conflicts. For example, they are holding additional meetings or resolving civil issues. Other ministry goals include: encouraging expression, listening to those eager to be heard, empathy and sympathy (Daft, 2018). Priests and other church workers are guided by these principles every day, perhaps without evaluating their actions or thinking of its title.
Second, critical aspects of leadership ministry will allow for a healthy understanding of it. Concepts such as preparation and rehearsal are essential to the priest. In smaller churches, there are few congregants, so the minister can formulate issues in advance that require the support of a spiritual director (Daft, 2018). For example, worries about the epidemiological situation or difficulties with work/housing. In such a case, the Servant leader’s role is to listen to people, convince them of the benefits that follow, and try to find a way to heal. The servant-leader disposes of himself, thereby becoming one as a whole, and the priest must communicate God’s will and help people. Thus, leadership ministry is not about oppressing the leader because he serves but rather about growing his personality because the Servant bears fruit.
Based on this concept of Leadership, I decided to be guided by these principles to understand the laity. I have outlined three primary goals for my ministry and the activities I will do in my environment. First of all, I will focus on innovations: the world is developing quickly, but one must not lose faith and keep up with the times. I want to understand the importance of conformity to the modern world and designate the proper moral boundaries and principles. Second, even if my path as a priest does not work out for some reason, I would still direct my activities in such a way as to empower my staff. It seems fitting to me to help people realize themselves and find their way. Third, my goal is to assure people’s well-being and assist all those in need as much as I can. Thus, leadership ministry is the most fitting and necessary path in my life.
A Demonstration of the Personal Qualities of a Priest According to Servant Leadership Theory
The theory of servant Leadership is based on the leader’s help and the tremendous support of his staff. The same principles of the church can be applied to ministers and develop qualities that will contribute to spiritual growth. These qualities include both general moral principles and specific social skills. As a result of the harmonious alignment of all grades, the servant leader promotes the unification and cohesion of society.
Among all the professional qualities of a priest, we must highlight the main three: listening, empathy, healing. The work of a priest has much to do with the ability to listen to people and perhaps help them with advice. People often want to be heard, and it is the priest’s job to give them that chance. A confession or even a simple little talk is sure to help the person, and the priest will act as a helper in this situation and receive feedback in the form of support. Empathy is a quality that must be learned: it is difficult to empathize because it requires an emotional involvement in the problem. In addition, the principle of empathy is to listen, empathize, not judge, and be merciful, so a priest needs to acquire this quality. It is also worth paying attention to healing – in the priest’s case, it is both psychological help and actual help. The priest instructs people on the path of humility and service because it is to such people that God will be merciful and will certainly heal from spiritual groaning.
The development of such qualities in oneself often goes hand in hand with self-awareness and self-understanding. As a Servant leader, the priest needs to become aware of his ideals and principles, understand the intricacies of morality, and apply them to himself (Daft, 2018). The formation of a strong personality comes from within after awareness and acceptance of one’s nature. Therefore, the qualities of conceptualization and foresight are also derived from self-awareness. Conceptualization makes it possible to approach decisions rationally, weigh them and assess the moral costs of their implementation. In addition, making plans and describing them in detail helps one understand the work structure. It is by looking at issues, in fact, from all angles that positively facilitates their implementation. From this quality comes foresight – the ability to assume several possible events and prepare oneself for additional difficulties. Ministry implies responsibility for all actions, so the minister must be aware of his influence on people and improve understanding.
I would also like to outline two qualities that must be carefully and wisely operated. First, there is the conviction that argumentation must always be genuine, based on personal observation and objective facts. Only then will there be a positive effect and a genuinely correct attitude to this or that problem. In addition, persuasion must be right, giving complete information about one’s position: honesty and politeness in disputes are necessary for a leader (Daft, 2018). Second, stewardship: overusing one’s status or position leads to unfavorable results. It isn’t easy to be a good manager because it requires organizational experience and specific knowledge, but I think it is as a priest that I can get it.
In the end, I would like to outline the results I would like to arrive at as a priest. As a Servant leader, it is crucial to unite the community and form healthy relationships in it. It requires a focus on people’s growth and personal fulfillment and a wholehearted expression of support. Despite controversial and complex issues, building a society with the proper orientation and understanding of the principle of morality is one of the main tasks of the priest’s work.
Conclusion
Servant Leadership is a theory that is based on the exercise of service to support people. Leaders who choose to serve do not become servants literally, as their activities aim to improve cooperation and communication within the group. Moreover, servant leaders are usually well-liked and supported because they are genuinely interested in society’s problems. Priests, myself included, should be guided by Servant Leadership principles because serving the people according to God’s laws is their primary activity. For a priest, the ministry is a way of learning and exercising qualities such as empathy and listening, healing and conviction, faith in spiritual and personal growth. Based on these qualities and serve as a life purpose, it is possible to regulate pastoral-management relationships and improve them. Thus, leadership service theory allows three primary spiritual motives to be captured at once: a commonality of right action, empathy, and commitment to humanity.
Reference
Daft, R.L. (2018). The leadership experience (7th ed). Cengage Learning.