A need for servant leadership

Why is it that the liberty movement been so appealing to so many?  One reason is that people are finding it more and more difficult to hold their elected officials accountable.  But why has this become so difficult to do?  In my opinion, it is because many elected officials no longer make it a priority to serve their communities and instead care more about serving themselves.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few years studying the concept of servant leadership.  For those of you who have not been introduced to this relatively simple yet extremely effective leadership theory, let me give you a little background: servant leadership is a philosophy and concept coined by a man named Robert Greenleaf.  The theory suggests that leaders should be servants to their constituents above all else.  Servant leaders are often seen as humble stewards of their cause.  The idea is that they serve the people that make it possible for them to lead.  Servant leaders are also expected to live by the values and guidelines that they profess to believe in.

Does this description remind you of what you are seeing out of most of your elected officials?  I didn’t think so.  Imagine what our nation would be like if all elected officials had the interests of their constituents at heart and made it a priority to serve them.

One of my favorite examples of a true servant leader is General George S. Patton.  Though not an elected leader, General Patton was one of the most respected leaders of his time.  Porter B. Williamson, a soldier in the I Armed Corps who served under General Patton was quoted as saying, “No man served under General Patton; he was always serving with us”.  I believe this is how every constituent should feel about those they elect to represent them.  We should feel as though our elected representatives are in the fight for liberty right beside us.

General Patton was also known for listening to the concerns of his soldiers and trusted what they had to say.  He believed that if he trusted the troops, they would trust him as well.  And he fully trusted them because they were the ones doing all of the work and, therefore, knew the most about it.  However, currently many people no longer trust their elected officials because those that are elected tend to feel that they know what is best, and don’t listen to or place trust in the opinions of their constituents. Elected officials should trust citizens that are actively engaged in the fight for liberty and they will find that their constituents will begin to trust them.

Patton was also known for talking with men of all ranks.  Williamson said, “No man was so dirty or greasy that General Patton would decline a handshake from him and he was always the first to salute a man even before they saluted him.”  Just as General Patton humbled himself to make it known to his constituents that he was not “above” them, so should those whom we elect to represent us.

I’m not saying that if everyone did things the way General Patton did the world would be a better place.  However, he serves as a great example of somebody who understood what it meant to be a servant leader.  A leader gets his/her legitimacy from those he/she leads.  Leaders should make it a priority to serve those people, or they will find that they have lost their legitimacy and are no longer leaders.  To me, that is what the liberty movement is about.   It is about restoring our government to those who serve the interests of their constituents, instead of serving themselves.