A Leader is a Shepherd

Shepherd leadership goes back to the beginning of time – “The Lord is our shepherd.”

A shepherd walks alongside his people (sheep), and he knows and cares deeply about each of them.

When in church, I am grateful for the time to reflect. I especially love the message of the 23rd Psalm, that the Lord, as our shepherd, is responsible for each of his sheep, every single one. A shepherd uses his experience, his know how, his guile and his devotion to successfully guide his flock.

We, as leaders, are responsible for guiding each of our team members, and our responsibility includes tending to their learning, growth and success, and to their wellbeing.

Recently, I heard an insightful talk using an analogy of the role a hiking staff plays when traversing challenging terrain. When we use the hiking staff, it gives us stability, comfort and, at times, even courage.

In thinking about how the analogy of the staff applies to our leadership in business, the staff can represent our character, our integrity, our humility, our graciousness, our positive energy and our compassion for our people.

If we have solid character, our people will follow us, just as the sheep follow their shepherd. Like the hiking staff, our character will also guide us and see us through challenging times in our work. Our character comes from the depth of our inner being, from the realization that we are here on earth to love and to serve others. This is what matters most.

If we are shepherd leaders, we relate to our people with genuine care and we assure them that they and their ideas matter. We are dedicated to helping them succeed.

Shepherd leadership comes from our heart. It is a genuine desire to serve others. When we lead through service for one another, we reveal our heart. As Dr. Artika Tyner, a distinguished professor of public policy and leadership, wrote,

“The heart of the leader is manifested through service to others.” 

Our service to others shows that we are leaders who care deeply about our team members, our team and our company, and to our community.

This is so true for us as leaders. It’s not about us; it’s about our service to our team members and team! This manner of leadership  invigorates the culture of our organizations and inspires our people to also care about one another, valuing team accomplishments over personal achievement and recognition.

May we grow in our commitment to walk alongside our people and to do our part to help them succeed in their roles while providing opportunities for their growth, and being ever mindful that our character informs our leadership presence and voice.