“Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.”  ~ Marian Anderson

The quote above comes from a woman who is known as one of the greatest singing voices of the 20th century. She was not a scholar; she was not a politician; she was not an elected official.  Yet her words demonstrate most emphatically the type of leadership we as state legislators must practice and teach. As state legislators, we come from varying walks of life. Our leadership is most ideally demonstrated through our capacity to serve the people we represent, who like us, come from diverse paths. Our style of leadership is most effective when we view our work with the attitude of the servant-leader, for it is with this approach that we can best respect and represent the people in our respective communities. 

Often when the idea of leadership is considered, we think of a single lofty position. We think of administrative and executive jobs, the political arena, corporate enterprise, and local organizations. We tend to set leaders apart. We even, at times, place leaders on pedestals far above the life on the ground. 

We are state legislators. We have been chosen of the people, by the people, and for the people. So as we go about carrying out their business, we must be ever mindful that we are serving our communities. As state legislators, we come together to create and facilitate legislation that will best serve not ourselves or an elite group, but the whole community. As servant-leaders, we must pursue our work with sensitive familiarity. We must use our leadership skills to discern where there is a need and use our awareness, our knowledge, and our sense of service to call in to play programs and legislation that will improve the lives of the people we have been elected to care for and represent.

We would do well to keep in mind the following characteristics of the servant-leader as we participate in the various meetings, lectures, and discussions. As representatives of the people, let us return to our communities with a renewed sense of purpose to become true servant-leaders.

• Listening: A servant-leader puts the emphasis upon listening effectively to others.
• Empathy: A servant-leader needs to understand others’ feelings and perspectives.
• Awareness: A servant-leader understands his or her values and feelings, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Conceptualization: A servant-leader needs to integrate present realities and future possibilities.
• Foresight: A servant-leader needs to have a well-developed sense of intuition about how the past, present, and future are connected.
• Stewardship: A servant-leader is a steward who holds an organization’s resources in trust for the greater good.
• Commitment to the growth of people: A servant-leader is responsible for serving the needs of others.
• Building community: A servant-leader helps create a sense of community among people.

It appears that we live in a time where we communicate with each other more than ever before in American history. Yet, current events locally and nationally illustrate that many people are only hearing, not listening. Still others are not truly relating to or understanding the challenges being faced by their friends and neighbors. Most importantly, we so often may sympathize but we do not empathize when it comes to the experiences of others. There is a world of difference. As legislators, we are at a loss if we do not sincerely listen to the concerns of the people we work for in carrying out their faith in our abilities to best represent them. As members of NBCSL, we are all acutely aware of the anguish experienced by many of the people we represent due to a lack of affordable housing, jobs, chronic health problems, and other issues.  

As legislators, being aware of present issues of concern will grant us the foresight to plan ahead and establish legislation that will still be worthwhile in the face of change. The ability to foresee goes hand in hand with our capacity to develop appropriate policies to serve our fellow citizens. We must continue to hone our craft and sharpen our skills in determining, discerning, and developing as we go about the business of leading through service.

Let us continue to take the lead in building and sustaining community. Let us take the lead in demonstrating our sincerest commitment to serving the people who have elected us to safeguard their interests as American citizens.