Structuring your organization to encourage servant leadership

Scott Couchenour April 25, 2021

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You know the typical organizational chart. You know the concept of "top-down" decision-making. You understand when people have people "under" them. You know what I mean when I say someone "works their way up in the company."

But I want to suggest a radical shift to a more servant leadership style. It has to start with the structure or it will never work. I think the org chart should be turned on its head.

The traditional org chart was part of the industrial revolution which treated people as cogs in a system. The assembly line was their workspace. If someone was slow, it was easy to simply pull the slow worker out and put in a faster one.

But we are in the service era. A top-down approach simply isn't excellent. It promotes the use of humans as resources (like a stock of steel or wood). Notice the term "human resources." It subtly implies humans are to be treated like a block of steel or wood.

With an upside-down org chart, you make decisions "bottom-up." If you're a leader, you have people "above" you. If you want to take on more responsibility, you work your way "down" the company. All of these perspectives support one fundamental aspect of excellent business: servant leadership.

As you work your way "down" the company, you take on more weight (responsibility). You have more people "above" you and your success is dependent on their success. To the extent you are not supportive, the whole group above you collapses.

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Scott Couchenour has a combined 30 years of experience in ministry, business and entrepreneurship. He has the perspective any leader needs to grow further in their personal and professional life. Scott served as COO and CEO for a national multi-million dollar family-owned business. He has served in his local church as worship leader and various leadership positions. He serves as Trustee on the Nazarene Foundation Board, the Nazarene Theological Seminary Board, and Harmony Village Board. Learn More »

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