Servant Leadership and the Solitary Witch

One of the most rewarding things I have been working on in the past year is Servant Leadership. My job uses the principal behaviors of Servant Leadership for the clients we serve, the coworkers we consider our teammates but primarily ourselves. The behaviors of Servant Leadership are: 

Serve First-Demonstrate Respect

Build Trust-Show Loyalty Extend Trust

Live Your Values-Clarify Expectations

Listen to Understand-Listen First

Think About Your Thinking-Practice Accountability * Keep Commitments

Bring Value: Your Strengths-Talk Straight

Acquire and Practice Virtue-Create Transparency * Right Wrongs

Demonstrate Courage-Confront Reality * Deliver Results

Live Your Transformation-Get Better

We strive to 'Encourage, Equip and Inspire those with whom we have influence...' for their highest good. In serving others first, we actually serve ourselves the same way. It's a beautiful way to look at it. I have really felt changes and overall growth with these practices.

As a Solitary Witch/Wiccan/Pagan, I was a little concerned at first, because I wasn't sure if the concept would fit me. I had heard of it primarily as a 'Christian' concept....and historically, they haven't always been very welcoming of the my kind. But, I do believe we are brought where we need to be and shown what we most need to see for our benefit. This lesson is truly fulfilling me on many levels. Personally and professionally, I have challenged every day and I love how there is always a new lesson or perspective to take away from these. My biggest challenge is within the Wiccan /Pagan community itself. In demonstrating Servant Leadership, I need to heal some of the old injuries of my past by once again extending trust to others in the cyber Wiccan/Pagan community.

A few years ago, I had been writing articles for a couple of Witchy blogs. I was truly enjoying the growth and the ability to share my perspective about empowerment and a Solitary path with other like-minded folks. There came a time when the owner of one blog  I had been writing for didn't care for my opinions anymore and felt I was challenging her  authority in some way. I meditated on it and decided to start my own Facebook page, Magickal Moxie, so I could share my own feelings, experiences and perspectives without judgment. Long story short-Got booted off the blogs and lost several cyber friends over it. However, sticking with my own page has become part of my daily spiritual practice and it continues to be fun and truly fulfilling.

So what does this have to do with Servant Leadership? I was recently invited to write for another Witchy blog. My initial reactions were anxiety and skepticism. However, practicing Servant Leadership this past year led me quickly to another realization: I need to learn, to grow, and to share my path beyond my own page. Time to Extend Trust and learn what the Universe has in store for me now. I wouldn't have considered this before. I would have held on to an old hurt, wounded pride, and stayed stuck. More importantly, I trust my Spirit Guides, who are directing me to serve others in our cyber communities once again. I can equip, encourage and inspire those whom I can influence to experience lives full of wonder, joyful solitary spirituality and Witchy empowerment. In turn, they can help me heal from the past, be more humble in my dealings with the world and my Guides, and grow to be a better Witch and a better person.

In serving to motivate and inspire my Witchy/Wiccan/Pagan friends, I serve and empower myself.... Doesn't that sound fantastic?

To learn more about Servant Leadership, check out the following links:
Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
Servant Leadership Institute
The Ancient Future of Servant Leadership
Paganism for Beginners: Group Dynamics