Job Interview at a Restaurant

The interview was going well.

Great questions and thoughtful responses.

They were both talking loudly to be heard over the noise of the crowded restaurant and the Neo-Punk Indie music.

Pretending to be captivated by the display on my phone, I made a few quick notes.  Some are keyed into my phone, some are written on a brown paper napkin, and all are relevant to you, me, church, and how we all relate.

What first caught my attention was the Manager telling the prospective employee, “I’m a servant leader.”  That’s not a new phrase.  We use it in  a variety of contexts and cultures, including church and corporation.

My favorite example is from a friend who was on a Mission Trip.  The person who met the Mission Trippers at the airport, helped carry their luggage, drove the van to the Mission Site, helped serve dinner and cleaned the kitchen, was also the one cleaning the toilets the next morning when the group awoke.

The outside group impressed, but also concerned about this person’s workload.

Later that morning, the Bishop was introduced at the Orientation Meeting.  You guessed it — the Bishop had met them at the airport, helped carry their luggage, had driven the van to the Mission Site, helped serve dinner and cleaned the kitchen, and was also the one cleaning the toilets the next morning when the group awoke.

“I’m a servant leader,” the Restaurant Manager had said. “Let me tell you what that means.”

He had my attention.  I already had one fantastic definition, personified by that Bishop.

See you back here tomorrow with what servant leadership means in that restaurant chain.

Meanwhile, how do you define servant leadership?