Describe how servant leadership is viewed from both the secular and the biblical perspectives.
Next, research the differences and similarities between the biblical and secular perspectives of power and authority. What do you consider to be the most significant differences between the two?
Discussion 6-1: Servant Leadership, Power, and Authority
Sociologists and the Bible have varied views regarding leadership, power, and authority. However, there are some similarities between the sociologists’ and biblical perspectives of these three concepts. The purpose of this discussion is to explore the similarities and differences between the secular and biblical perspectives in relation to servant leadership, authority, and power.
The concept of servant leadership is well defined from both the secular and biblical perspectives. From the secular perspective, servant leadership is a form of leadership where the front-runner prioritizes fulfilling the needs of his or her followers including employees, stakeholders, and customers (Canavesi & Minelli, 2021). From the biblical perspective, servant leadership entails meeting the needs of both God and man. For example, Jesus demonstrated servant leadership by serving God and humanity his entire life (Kimotho, 2019).
Power and authority are other terms that can be defined from both the secular and biblical perspectives. The main similarity between the secular and biblical perspectives of power is that in both cases, those in power have the ability to influence and direct the behaviors of those who are not in power. However, the most significant difference between the two is that God is believed to be the most powerful in the biblical perspective while from the secular perspective, people in authority and those who have high strengths and capacities are believed to be the most powerful (Marty, 2016).
The main similarity between the secular and biblical perspectives of authority is that those in authority exercise control, enforce obedience, and direct decision-making. However, there is one most significant difference between the two. While the biblical perspective of authority views those in authority as people who strive to create positive relationships with followers, the secular perspective views those in authority as people who can use their positions to create either positive or negative relationships (Marty, 2016).
References
Canavesi, A., & Minelli, E. (2021). Servant leadership: a systematic literature review and network analysis. Employee Responsibility and Rights Journal, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-021-09381-3
Kimotho, S. (2019). Is servant leadership a ‘Christian Theory’? A critical examination of Greenleaf’s servant leadership concept. International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 6(3), 71-78. https://www.ijrhss.org/papers/v6-i3/9.pdf