Leaders as described by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Servant Leadership blog refers to this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. They got it from Jordan Ballor at the Acton Institute PowerBlog. It comes from a radio address that Bonhoeffer gave in 1933 only two days after Hitler came to power. While the address was interrupted, Bonhoeffer went on to use the text publicly in the days and weeks that followed.

The Leader must lead his followers towards a responsibility to the orders of life, a responsibility to father, teacher, judge, state. He must radically refuse to become the appeal, the idol, i.e. the ultimate authority of those whom he leads......

the Leader must know that he is most deeply committed to his followers, most heavily laden with responsibility towards the orders of life, in fact quite simply a servant.......

Leaders or offices which set themselves up as gods mock God and the individual who stands alone before him, and must perish. Only the Leader who himself serves the penultimate and the ultimate authority can find faithfulness...

Click on the link if you are interested in learning more about Bonhoeffer.