The more life experiences I have, the more I realize that the way we think the world should work is often wrong. You simply cannot force results in this life and reap long-term benefits or find true happiness. There are no true “get rich quick” ideas. The problem with these is the barrier to entry is low and anyone could easily get started. There are no “magic diets”. The truth is that exercise and nutrition win out over time. Let me get to my main focus. You also can’t make people do things, even if you are “the boss”. Real influence can be found, not in title or authority, but by pouring into others and setting them up for success. People in healthy organizations want to achieve and you can help them do that! This is “powerful power”.

When it comes to working on tasks, we support what we help create. Nobody likes to get “happened to”. What I mean by this is we like to look back at the end of the work day and feel like we accomplished something within our control…and that we were part of something we understood and supported. As a leader, if we assume strong control over the entire strategy and the exact way that tasks are carried out, we are taking something important away from our people. If this is the case they might feel they helped accomplish “your dream” or “your task” not a shared one or their own. If you question this thinking just remember that nobody was born with all the gifts…but if your organization is healthy, you will find many complementary gifts around you.

Moving on, I’d like to reference a few key scriptures the first comes from John and the second comes from Matthew.

²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24 NIV

²⁶ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28 NIV

In John, Jesus speaks of the transformative power of sacrifice and surrender. He uses the metaphor of a kernel of wheat, which must fall to the ground and die in order to produce many new seeds. This concept is a strong reminder that sometimes to grow and create something new, we must be willing to let go of what we currently have.

In Matthew, Jesus gives us another powerful message about leadership – that to become great, we must first become a servant. This goes against the current of our dominant culture, which values power, prestige, and personal gain over service to others. But when we embrace this radical call to servanthood, we can experience the true joy and fulfillment that comes from serving. The people, when served well will be better members of organizations leading to more positive impact than one person could have alone.

How do we plant seeds as leaders?

Planting seeds around you begins with modeling service to others. It means taking the focus off yourself and putting it onto people, mission, and quality. It means moving away from coercive power, which is “weak power” because it relies on force. As soon as the force is removed, the leader loses control. On the other hand, servant leadership is a pathway to “powerful power” that allows the leader to create sustainable energy within the organization. By giving power away and planting seeds, the power multiplies and the harvest is plentiful. 

How do we enrich the soil around us?

Enriching the soil means focusing on the culture of your organization. If we carry the symbolism further, the laying down or dying of one thing leads to enriching the soil long-term through decomposition. What might you need to lay down in order for your people to thrive? What things need to die in your organization in order to achieve the new life and transformation you long for? In many cases this type of cultural growth involves temporary pain that forges resilience.

What comes next?

After the seeds are planted and the soil is enriched, We wait patiently for growth, remembering that God is in the business of creating and developing eternal beings and calling them to greatness. The work we do on this earth is temporary but the lives we impact are eternal. Think about it. People only commit part of their lives to a job, and only part of our eternal existence takes place on earth. The people whose lives intersect with ours in the workplace live on forever. How will their time spent under your leadership help them experience God’s love more fully?