When you walk down the aisles of a bookstore (yes, they still exist!) or tune into a podcast you’ll quickly find a variety of resources on leadership from every perspective and profession. The varied opinions and perspectives can be information overload. It is important to distill the information and find commonalities. We’re getting closer to the midterm elections and we will see many people claiming to be the type of leader that we need now. With that said, let’s talk about examples of leadership, and let's narrow it further to this: What is a servant leader? Jesus is the ultimate example of a servant leader and we see this through the way He lived His 33 years; caring for those we would consider to be “the least of these”, loving His neighbor, and ultimately sacrificing Himself for our sins. His example is the goal, however, it is unattainable. Hence, it can be helpful to consult other resources of what servant leadership looks like. You can Google the question of servant leadership and find “10 Characteristics of a Servant Leader”, “7 ways to become a Servant Leader”, and “The Art of Servant Leadership.” In my experience though, the best way to learn what something really is, is through real life examples that we are privileged to be witness to:
The Insistent Inspector
Servant leaders do the best thing (even when it’s not the popular or easy thing) for the sake of others.
My dad, a fireman of 34 years, now a fire inspector, does just that—he inspects. He does the due diligence required to keep the general public (that’s you and I) safe at all costs. This did not bode well for me as a teenager when my room needed to be cleaned to his inspection standards. However, his upholding high safety standards to prevent loss of life and to protect our well-being is necessary. Believe it or not, those high standards (fire codes) aren’t a fast track to friendship. During inspection, his job is to show people how to fix or change things—including things that don’t necessarily “look” like they need fixing to a business owner or property manager. I don’t know about you, but I don’t love changing things that are currently working just fine for me.
The Consistent Pastor
Servant leaders serve others whether deserving or not.
In my high school youth group days, I distinctly remember my youth pastor praying this prayer on repeat, “Lord, open our eyes to the things unseen” and “give us the opportunity to give a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name.” The crazy thing is he didn’t just pray this, but he lived it.
I realized that through the way he intentionally cared for the everyday needs of people, he was actually building trust and relationships—the best bridge for the Gospel. As he shelved books at the local high school, chain sawed branches for strangers after storms, or used his little red truck to help people move things across town, people became more receptive, curious even, about the Gospel and why this guy kept showing up to help.
The way he showed up for people taught me to see people’s needs—which translates to my counseling office easily. I can’t help a client with long-term problems if I don’t provide a place to solve the issues in the here and now.
The Passionate Professor
Servant leaders aren’t worried about getting credit.
My favorite professor in college didn’t give me A’s…or B’s and made me memorize poetry (but that is a story for another day). Also, for 12 years he chose to stay at a tiny college that nobody had heard of, taking on multiple roles and responsibilities so that he could continue passionately investing in his students and leading higher educational reform by example.
He tirelessly worked to teach his students how to think, not what to think. His desire to see students thriving in all communities—urban, suburban, and rural— while being sensitive to the particular needs of each type of community was unmatched. He continues to lead the classical education movement, building a network of classical Christian schools committed to academic excellence across the nation.
The Curious Clinician
Servant leaders seek to understand, not to be right.
In my supervision to become a Licensed Professional Counselor in both my internship phase and my provisionally licensed phase, I was fortunate to have two very different supervisors. They had a few things in common. One of the most important commonalities was their quest to understand. Why did you choose this intervention with this client? What are we missing in our support of this family? What else do we need to learn to be a better clinician in this scenario? Building my capacity to listen for understanding’s sake, rather than for my agenda to be chosen was, and to this day is, truly a gift to my clinical practice.
The Sage Teacher
Servant leaders invest in the success of others— often.
The former director of my graduate school program built it from the ground up. He invested countless hours educating as many counseling students as he was able. He taught using stories, anecdotes, and sometimes PlayDoh models of the brain. His many years of experience in the military, education, science, and counseling were woven seamlessly into each class. This man spent his lifetime investing in each and every one of his students individually, taking the time to check in and have an understanding of each student’s own story.
Often, he would say, “If you think about a problem long enough, there is usually a way to work around it.”. His commitment to helping students and clients solve their problems was unmatched. He found good in every person that he encountered, and he invested time in building his students into leaders in their places of right fit. Often, he saw where they would be successful before they did, and gently helped guide and encourage them as they found their way.
Take inventory of the servant leaders in your own life. Do you have any? All the books, quizzes, and podcasts in the world don’t outweigh having real-life examples to follow. Servant leaders can sometimes be quiet or hidden, but their examples can often be the best place to start when considering the qualities we want to emulate as we grow. Maybe it is hard for you to find good servant leadership examples in your circles—take that as a challenge to find them. Find a way to invest in learning from the solid leaders that you find. Be intentional. The support system that you build is a reflection of what you value. Find good leaders and seek to invest your leadership in others. We need good leaders now more than ever.
Onward and upward,
Lindsay
Thursday, September 22, 2022 @ 7:30am
Adams Pointe Golf Club, 1601 RD Mize Rd, Blue Springs, MO
REGISTRATION & SPONSORSHIPS - NOW OPEN!
CALLING ALL GOLFERS AND SPONSORS! We have opened up registration for our 6th Annual Golf Classic. As you all know, this will be another top-notch event, with a stellar swag bag, delicious food, and outstanding prizes. For all of you sponsors, this is a great opportunity to put your business in front of our 200 guests while supporting an amazing organization changing the lives of the kids and families in your community. We have a variety of sponsorship levels, so please register now or contact Naomi with any questions.
Registration is open, so put your team together now!
REGISTRATION:
Team Registration – 4 Person ($700)
Individual Team Registration ($175): Playing on a team but paying fees individually.
Individual Player Registration ($200): Individual golfer, not yet on a team. Will be placed on a team prior to event.
SPONSORSHIP LEVELS:
Presenting Sponsor ($15,000): Logo on all event materials, welcome banner; name included as presenter on all written materials; logo placed on gift bag; private speaking engagement with Dr. Jon Thompson; 2 foursomes included
Platinum Sponsor ($10,000): Logo on all event materials & signage; exclusive logoed golfer gift item; 2 foursomes included
Gold Sponsor ($5,000): Exclusive logoed golfer gift item; prominent signage at event & logo on website; 1 foursome included
Silver Sponsor ($3,000): Logo on gift bag, sponsor banner, & website; 1 foursome included
Cart Sponsor ($1,000): Logo included on all beverage carts (3), cart corral area, and on sponsor banner
Premium Hole Sponsor ($250): Sign with logo at designated hole; table to handout giveaways at hole; ability to include promotional item in gift bag
To contact our Director of Development, Naomi Thompson, call: 816.272.0653 or email: naomi@peacecounseling.org.
Your support is invaluable to all of us at Peace Partnership. It is with grateful hearts that we extend our thanks to each of you who have partnered with us to keep our mission thriving. Your gifts allow us to offer peace and hope in the lives of hurting people in our community. To any of you who are new supporters of Peace Partnership, we thank you for joining us and look forward to connecting with you as we work together to change lives. At Peace Partnership our goal is simple: to help struggling people find peace in their lives. Your generosity makes everything we do possible.
Thank you, Denise Hamblin and Laurie Edwards, for your generous first-time gifts. We are honored to have you partner with us to help others.
Thank you to the anonymous donor who gave through PayPal Giving Fund. Every dollar donated makes a difference in the lives of our clients.
GEHA, we are blessed by your grant donation. Your gifts provide generational healing for families. We appreciate you!
A special thank you to Jimmy Oades – Oades Brothers Tire & Auto Service, Lona Bremer – Reece Nichols, Paul Crisafulli – Epic Insurance, Don & Linda Pearce, and Mike Morgan – B&H Freight Line Inc. for your Sporting Clay Tournament Sponsorships.
A special Thank You to our faithful monthly supporters: Stone AMP SEO, Jeff & Lacey Cherry, Zane & Melissa Morerod, Carolyn Eldridge, Jondy & Heather Britton, Mark McDonald, Lone Jack Baptist Church, Matt & Kristy Newton, Clayton & Pam Wooldridge, Greg & Jennifer Spears, Jon Brody, Roger & Jennifer Madsen, Brent & Amanda Miller, Mike & Jan McGraw, Linda Hartman, Dave & Rosie Bourland, Mike & Tracy Pruitt, Sandra Cooper, Demi Raveill, Diane Smith, Stan & Linda Byrd, Dan & Gigi Rippee, Andre & Rose Fantasma, Kevin Quinn, Scott & Lydia Hurley, Jon & Naomi Thompson, Cory Young, John & Keshia Otradovec, Tamara Stroud, Rick & Kathy Daulton, Church at Coffee Creek, John & Vicki Hefner, Craig & Samantha Compton, Jenny Glasgow, Brandon & Vanessa Blanchard, Rick & Jan Britton, and Mark & Cathy McGaughey.
We appreciate you!
Presented by
Our 2nd Annual Sporting Clay Tournament presented by iPlumbKC was a huge success! We want to thank our event sponsors and participants and hope you enjoyed a beautiful day, made some new friends, and learned more about Peace Partnership’s mission to help individuals, families, and children by providing quality, affordable mental health care for those in need. With your help, we were able to raise over $25,000! Thank you for helping make this event a success.
You can check out photos from the day here on our Facebook page. Please feel free to save photos, share them, or tag yourself or your business. If you're disappointed that you missed our event this year, we hope to see you next year! Save the date for Friday, May 19, 2023!
Congratulations to our top teams and top shooters!
TOP TEAMS:
1. Mark McBride – 268
2. Mike Horsley – 207
3. Dorsey Embrey – 205
4. Derek Riggs – 197
5. Austin Winder – 190
5. Micah Hefner – 190
TOP INDIVIDUAL SHOOTERS:
1. Pat Bentley – 81
2. Beau Crawford – 80
3. Mark McBride – 73
4. Bryan Montgomery – 67
5. Taylor Erickson – 66
5. Kyle Marsh – 66
THANK YOU – Event Sponsors: iPlumbKC, Con Carpet Tile & Design, J.E. Hefner Co., Dental Arts, Lona Bremer – Reece Nichols, Paths Law Firm, Metcalf Auto Plaza, John & Keshia Otradovec, Genesis Counseling, B&H Freight Line Inc., Don & Linda Pearce, A.L. Huber, Stan & Deb Oglesby, Maywood Printing, Paul Crisafulli – Epic Insurance, Oades Brothers Tire & Auto, C.R. Sales Firearms, eyeSmith – Rand & Janeel Smith, Hawaiian Bros. – Kiran Worcester, Home Depot – Blue Springs & Lee’s Summit, Lowe’s – Lee’s Summit, Plate Restaurant Leawood, Scheels, Zarda Bar-B-Q, Chick-fil-A – Lee’s Summit, Pilgrim Coffee, Hy-Vee – Lee’s Summit & Independence, and Daylight Donuts.
Contact our Director of Development, Naomi Thompson, at: 816.272.0653 or naomi@peacecounseling.org to find out how you can join our team of Partners. To make a donation through our website, please click on the link below.
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