A Non-Servant Leader Boss? Now What?

A non-servant leader, whether at work or in ministry, can be a challenge.

Now what?

(Part 1: What is a servant leader? is here).

A recent article in Commentary Magazine described the problem well:

The ideal of servant leadership too often becomes a public performance. Leaders, especially in religious and non-profit spaces, learn the gestures and phrases of the humble servant as a way of concealing an exercise of power that remains centralized, unchecked, and sometimes harmful. 

David Forney; The Dark Side of Servant Leadership

And there you are. Stuck.

You can’t always leave.

Now what?

What to do if you’re working with a non-servant leader?

Here’s a list from a friend who has been in that situation more than once.

• Do the best you can for those who work for and with you.
• Respect the leader and work to win their trust — without compromising your commitment to your co-workers.
• Do not compromise your commitment to servant leadership.
• Do not confront the non-servant leader head-on. Work to win and advance the group effort– even if that makes the boss look good.
• You have to be willing to be fired for doing the right thing.

Sometimes it is time to leave — but don’t abandon your fellow workers.

Leave them in a strong position.

A good example is Joseph in the Old Testament.

His story starts in Genesis when his ten non-servant leader brothers sold him into slavery.

Joseph ended up working for Potiphar in Egypt and did a fine job.

Unfortunately, he was attractive, and Potiphar’s wife accused him of a crime he didn’t commit.

As a slave, he ended up in prison.

There, he also did a fine job and used his prophetic gift to interpret dreams accurately.

When promoted to work under Pharaoh, he continued to serve people well without complaint.

Potiphar, the jailer, and Pharaoh were non-servant leaders who gave Joseph latitude because of his ability to work with them.

As a result, Joseph was in a position to save his family and the Egyptians during a seven-year famine.

Other Bible leaders demonstrated their ability to work with non-servant leaders in difficult circumstances.

• Jesus (Five Ways Jesus Handled Difficult People)
• Moses (Numbers 11:10-15; among other passages!)
• Nehemiah (Worked alongside the Israelites rebuilding the wall)
• Deborah (When the men wouldn’t do it, she did without complaints)
• Paul (A servant of Jesus Christ; Romans 1:1, 2 Corinthians 11:25-28)

Other links on working with a non-servant leader:

• How To Deal With A Bad Boss Biblically
• Working With Harsh Bosses
• John Piper: How to Serve a Bad Boss

More important than all of this?

Serve your boss and your fellow workers as a servant, yourself.