Self Leadership

A person who displays Servant Leadership is Ray Watson who works for a non-profit organization in Providence, R.I. Mr. Watson explained that a Servant Leader has to be assertive, helpful, hardworking, and has to get involved. He also explained that a part of being a leader is knowing when to be a boss and when to be a leader. Sometimes being a boss means making executive decisions that could impact your given situation. When it comes to being a leader you have to take into account morals, ethics and organization. Another key element he focused on is if you’re aspiring to be a future leader you must learn how to deal with/handle difficult situations and you must find a good mentor. He stressed the importance of finding a mentor who is doing something that is positive in their life and that can offer you the proper advice to help you succeed.

Updated Fall 2010:

The purpose of being a Servant Leader is to be able to serve people for a better good, also to build a strong community. When I volunteered at my church I worked in the kitchen as a part of the Breakfast Ministry. This ministry was dedicated to be of service to the local community (community outreach), the church family, and any other guests joining us for Bible School and Sunday worship. I was practicing servant leadership by dealing with all types of people, Christians, guests and the community of South Providence. One of the key characteristics of a servant leader is “listening”, having the patience to listen was a challenging task for me. I felt this way because I had to listen to my mother who was the chairperson of the ministry, a large group of children running around, hungry adults and members of the team who felt the need to delegate tasks even though it was not there role. Another characteristic is “awareness”, being aware of the people you are surrounded by as well as the different personalities you have to deal with. When dealing with a large amount of people, a leader has to have a certain amount of patience toward everyone not just the people you are close to. I realized that one of my strengths was keeping everything in order whether it was food, people or maintaining the kitchen area.