Rev. Fr. Leoplod Ettuh, Chancellor of the Apostolic Vicariate of Donkorkrom in Ghana’s Eastern Region has during an Advent Recollection of December 14, 2024, charged fellow Priests and Religious of the Vicariate to choose and practice Servant Leadership, as opposed to autocratic or laissez-faire leadership.
“Brothers and Sisters in the Lord’s Vineyard, our call to the priesthood or sisterhood is not about us. If we serve the One who called us by serving those we are called to serve, our Omnicient and Omnipotent Lord will lead us through every battle and redeem every challenge that comes our way,” he underlined.
The Speaker added that leaders are to avoid lording it over their subjects, or leaving them to their own fate, and rather consider becoming the servant of them all, explaining that “the leader acts as someone who is out to help others grow”.
Making reference to the Gospels of Mark 10:45 and John 13:1, typifying servant leadership, the Priest underlined that “a true Christian leader must embrace the humble principles of servant leadership.”
He explained that “Servant Leadership involves respecting those around you, and placing their best interests ahead of your personal desires”.
Singling out Servant leadership to be Pastoral leadership par excellence, Fr. Ettuh stressed that only those who have knowledge of how to serve God and neighbour should be allowed to lead, exemplifying the leadership concept of Jesus, defined by his sacrifice on the Cross, which was “the essence of his servanthood”.
According to the Chancellor, there is a dynamic connection between leadership and effective/fruitful ministry. “The fulfilment in the Pastoral work depends on the leadership style or styles employed,” he underscored, noting that “when the leadership is bad, bad results are shown on the pastoral field”.
“I invite all of us to watch the way we talk to each other, the way we relate with one another, and to always remember that we are not called to lord it over the followers of Jesus under our care, but rather called to show how perfectly Jesus loves them,” he urged.
Reflecting further on Prov. 29:18 – “where there is no vision, the people perish,” and Mathew 15:14 – “if the blind shall lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch,” the speaker underlined one major quality of a good and servant leader, which is being a Visionary. He said leaders in ministry must have a good vision of the mission entrusted to their care, so as to give meaning to the otherwise meaningless and hopeless plight of the people, adding that “if there is anything worse than physical blindness, then it is having sight without a vision in life”.
The priest drew the attention of the listeners to the fact that it is not enough for the leader in ministry to have a vision, but the vision must be backed by the ability and willingness to articulate it to the understanding of the followers, actually set out to implement it, making room for constructive criticism and mustering the courage to re-implement it after correcting the earlier misdeeds.
He further underpinned that Visionary leaders through their attractive visions of seeing into the future, tend to draw the followers closer, buttressing the fact that “Leaders have a vision, but great leadership turns that vision into reality”.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM, Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate)
