How important is momentum in building a culture of servant leadership? Like we see regularly in sports, momentum certainly can impact the journey of driving culture in the workplace as well.

The Super Bowl illustrated the importance of momentum. Until the lights went out in New Orleans, it looked like Baltimore was going to run away with the game. But the unexpected break in the action derailed their momentum and allowed San Francisco to gain some momentum and get back into the game. In this case, something totally out of the Ravens control derailed their momentum, and they had to work hard most of the second half to regain their momentum and win the game.

It seems almost every basketball game you watch has major momentum swings throughout the game as well. It appears it is very difficult to maintain the proper focus throughout a game to sustain extremely high performance.

I would propose the same is true when leaders are working on establishing a culture of servant leadership.

Servant leadership is hard work. It doesn’t normally come natural so one has to be very intentional about their development when driving change in this area. Servant leaders insure clarity of purpose, vision, and values. They are intentional about engaging and developing their people as they work towards the purpose and vision of the organization. They constantly challenge their people to achieve greater results, while developing relationships along the way. And they have to work hard to model the way everyday for their people.

To maintain momentum in this journey, it is important to have help and support both from within the organization and outside the organization. Just like the power outage in New Orleans, things will happen that are outside your control that will derail your momentum. It is easy to get caught up on the day-to-day challenges of the organization, and lose focus on the culture and people.

By sticking to the plan, staying focused on purpose and values, and relying on outside mentors, as well as inside supporters, you can continue to head north in your journey of servant leadership! And above all, always stay in prayer, as God will guide your way on this most important journey. He is the most powerful help in keeping momentum on your side!

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. – Matthew 19:26

Mark