BE IN SERVICE, NOT SUBSERVIENCE
If you want to influence others, you must adopt a mindset of service, but never subservience.
Service is a noble pursuit, perhaps the most noble. To be in service of others is to live your purpose and influence them towards theirs. Service is strength and power. You act like a partner, even if the person you’re serving is your boss or a customer.
Subservience is to have your power taken away, to be a ‘yes’ person, to try and please others. Subservience looks safe but scratch beneath the surface and it’s very risky. It’s an almost certain path to irrelevance.
When we find ourselves in a position to serve others, the temptation is to play it safe, avoid the difficult conversations, or become an order taker. You cannot influence anyone for the better from this place. You have to be prepared to lean into the discomfort.
The easiest way to do this is to shift from focusing on your discomfort, fears and worries, to focusing on their needs. When you are ‘on purpose and in service’, your fears dissipate, your confidence grows, and your contribution makes a real impact.
INSPIRATION FROM OTHERS
“Be not simply good; be good for something.” – Henry David Thoreau
“A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinion of sheep.” – Lord Tywin Lannister
QUESTIONS TO REFLECT ON
- Do you tell people what they need to hear or what they want to hear?
- Are you a ‘yes’ person?
- How could you influence a situation for the better if you moved from subservience to service?
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