S.E.R.V.E.

I was reading this book called "The secret - what great leaders know - and do", and among the various tips, one important insight was that leaders serve. In the book, great leaders of the past were mentioned that were great in serving others. The followings are some examples:

Nelson Mandela, who was wrongly jailed for almost 28 years, yet when he was finally released he wasn't angry. He came out with a desire to serve and help. He even invited his jailers to his inauguration when he was elected president of the Union of South Africa.

Jimmy Carter, who created an incredible team to build thousands of homes for the poor through Habitat for Humanity. And he won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work facilitating peace talks in troubled areas of the world.

Jesus of Nazareth selected twelve inexperienced people and developed them into leaders who would carry on after he was no longer in bodily form. When people asked him questions, his answers always showed a servant heart. 'How do you lead?' 'By following.' 'How can I be first?' 'By being last.' He even said that he had come to serve, not to be served, and he showed that by washing the feet of the disciples.

Martin Luther King, Jr had a powerful vision - a dream that one day people wouldn't be judged by 'the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.' He saw the future, and engaged others.

The acronym of the word 'SERVE' was used to describe these great leaders' attitude of service to others:

S = See the future
E = Engage and develop others
R = Reinvent continusously
V = Value results and relationships
E = Embody the values

I really like what Martin Luther King, Jr said, "everyone can be great, because everyone can serve."