A buzz word/phrase that has been around for a long time now is "Servant Leader". I'm beginning to think that we have confused this phrase and we have quickly forgotten what a powerful phrase it is. The common definition is that a leader leads by serving. This sounds good but doesn't completely define a servant leader because a lot of people serve but not all of them are leaders. There is an element of leadership that still must be present to fully define the term.

Part of the definition then has to be in regards to under/over position. The under position reflects the servant aspect in that the servant is under those he/she serves. The over position relfects the leadership aspect in that the leader is over those he/she leads. Determining how these two come together will should bring us to an understanding of the shepherd metaphor that appears to epitomize servant leadership.

My cousin's husband wrote a book about leading from the middle. I read the back cover and a page or two to satisfy my mom's desire for me to read my relative's book but maybe I should actually read it!