Proverbs 23:7 says “as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (NKJV)

Our hearts are the battleground where either good or bad character is built.

Our hearts are the battleground where either good or bad character is built. It is here where we either succumb to selfishness or surrender to selflessness.

With all this in mind, what does the heart have to do with leadership? Everything!

In our hearts we establish our why, our reason for being. From this why overflows our what and our how – what we believe about leadership and how we lead others. Our why informs whether we will be servant leaders or self-serving leaders. It impacts our internal “EGOs,” causing us to either Edge God Out or Exalt God Only. As Proverbs 4:23 says, “everything you do flows from it.”

Jesus spoke directly about his perspective on leadership: “Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10: 42-45) Here, we see Jesus establishing his point of view on leadership. He was abundantly clear. Following the example of Jesus, we are to seek to serve and not be served.

The Heart of a Servant Leader

So, how do we cultivate the heart of a servant leader? It first and foremost starts with a heart of active surrender to the Lord. The use of the word active is intentional because this work of cultivating a servant heart cannot be accomplished by being passive. We will not drift into becoming servant leaders. It is only by actively pursuing this kind of heart that we can be the leaders Jesus calls us to be. It is a daily choice, a moment by moment decision to surrender to God’s will and not our own.

So, how do we cultivate the heart of a servant leader?

Jesus expresses this perfectly when speaking to his disciples in Luke 9:23, “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” There is no passivity whatsoever in Jesus’ words. His calling is clear; we are to actively choose his will over our own.

A Heart of Surrender

At Lead Like Jesus, we believe that a heart of surrender starts with answering two important questions:

1. Whose am I?
2. Who am I?

Answering the first question, “Whose am I?” establishes who is the ultimate authority and audience of your life. This decision impacts everything else. If you choose Jesus, then he is the one you are living to please, not success, money, people or power.

Is Jesus your authority and audience of one? If not, who is?

Answering the second question, “Who am I?” addresses your identity and life purpose. Ephesians 2:10 brings clarity on God’s perspective about who we are. It describes us as a masterpiece, created to do good works. Anchoring our identity in Jesus provides us a strong, unshakeable foundation. In Jesus, we are fully known and fully loved.

We are not the sum of our successes and failures but instead are unconditionally loved children of God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. From this firm identity, we can lead out of an authentic humility and God-grounded confidence that is Spirit-empowered.

With hearts surrendered to Jesus, we can live out our “Therefore” through hearts of service to others. This kind of leadership turns the world upside down and leads to transformed lives for God’s glory.

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Steven Rubado serves as the U.S.A. and Canada Regional Representative for Lead Like Jesus, helping to advance its purpose and mission to positively impact leaders. More than that, Steven loves Jesus and helping others to experience his love and transforming power. He is the grateful husband of Janet, and proud father of three daughters.