Servant leaders
By Herman Lightsey
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
––Mark 10:43
In his book Pass It On, Deshaun Watson, says a servant leader needs to put the needs of those he is leading before his own.
As quarterback of Clemson University Tigers and the Houston Texans in the NFL, he found his role was more than throwing a football.
Because he was the quarterback, people looked to him to lead.
Watson discovered that leaders are far more influential when they serve the people they are charged with leading. Servant leaders inspire others to follow their own dreams.
The quarterback embraces 11 guiding principles by which he tries to live. Why eleven? There are eleven players on each side of a football game.
- Never forget where you came from.
- Focus on what you have, not on what you don’t have.
- Prepare for success. Put in the work.
- Your word is your oath.
- Failure is the best teacher there is.
- Never get too high. Never sink too low.
- Ignore the doubters. Forgive the haters.
- Bend. Don’t break.
- Never stop practicing. Never stop learning.
- Stay humble.
- Find a coach. Be a coach.
These are timely principles for troubling times. It may be difficult to believe, but the world has been through similar trials, perhaps not in our lifetimes, but in the lifetime of this world.
The thing that keeps Christians going is that we know that God is in charge. We know how the story ends. Many people do not believe this and I am sad for them.
Our only mission is to disciple men and their families. This is a ministry about where men and their families will spend eternity.
Herman Lightsey, president
National Association of Conference Presidents of UM Men