Servant Leadership for the Next Generation

Pilots. Missionaries. News anchors. Military officers. Educators. Moms. Ministers. These are just some of the titles used to identify the hundreds of thousands of accomplished American Heritage Girls Alumnae. What’s one thing they all have in common? The knowledge, heart posture, and respect it takes to lead others in a loving, sacrificial, and Christ-like way.

Our culture tells girls that leadership is moving up and getting ahead, climbing over others to make it to the top. It’s often about bossing others around instead of serving them, and love is rarely mentioned within the context of leadership. But today’s world requires leaders who are resilient, empathetic, unshaken, and gritty. Leaders with vision, values, and heart. As the members of Gen Z complete high school, college, and establish themselves in the workforce, it’s Generation Alpha American Heritage Girls that now require a tailored lesson in servant leadership.

DEFINING THE BEHAVIOR

We hear phrases like “servant leadership”, “shepherd leadership”, and “lead like Jesus1” shared in ministry circles. But what do all those terms mean? As always, we can turn to Scripture for wisdom. 1 Timothy 3:2-13 provides a very descriptive list of the characteristics of a good leader. He says a leader is to be: above reproach, faithful, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, a peacemaker, of good reputation, one who seeks honest gain, of a clear conscience, kind in speech, trustworthy in everything, and one who serves well. Notice how Biblical leadership doesn’t rest its laurels on power, control, fear, glory, or fame. It’s not about being a #girlboss or scaring people into “your way or the highway”. Are restless hustle and fear effective ways to gain control and get ahead? Sure. But Christ’s example calls us to a more loving approach.

Following Christ’s Example

The perfect example of servant leader qualities can be found within the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Philippians 2:3-8, NIV, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

Jesus was the most influential leader this world has ever known throughout history. His followers replicated the example of leadership that He provided. This method, also known as “discipleship,” was instrumental in establishing the early Church. Over 2,000 years later, Christians worldwide still follow His teachings and lead others to do the same. With His perfect example in mind, Troop leaders, parents, and girls are all called to develop a leadership style emulative of Christ.

Gen Alpha at a Glance

As we look back on the life of Jesus as our guiding principle, we also look forward to the next generation with much anticipation. With years of research and findings, we know a lot about the justice-minded, tech- savvy, 90s nostalgia-loving Gen Z. But what do we know about Gen Alpha? Children born 2010-2025 are known as Gen Alpha. The title is a leap into the Greek alphabet naming system and a sign of forwarding innovation. Coined by researcher Mark McCrindle, Gen Alpha is the fastest-growing generation in recent times—researchers project that by 2025 there will be nearly two billion Gen Alphas, the largest generation in the world’s history. The same researchers found that this generation will live longer, have larger spending power, and be more culturally diverse than any other previous generation. We also know that Gen Alpha had more formative time at home due to global lockdowns, while screentime is up among these youth, so is time spent with parents—a hopeful statistic when you consider that parents are the driving force in youth evangelism.

As “digital natives”, that is, people with technology at their fingertips since birth, Gen Alpha seeks authenticity above all else. Thanks to countless hours online, they know when a person is being genuine or when a company is just giving lip service to a cause. Since the internet and social media have always been present factors in their worldview formation, Gen Alpha knows the impact every individual can have on the world. Developing leadership skills in Gen Alpha is, at its core, a heart issue. Together we can develop a generation of girls who genuinely care deeply for those around them and live out the gospel through their service. A generation who love like Jesus, hold their values and beliefs in high priority, and know that good leadership starts with humble service to others.

Humility Redefined

The world defines humility in a vulnerable, oftentimes negative context. But Galatians 5:13, NIV defines the act of being humble differently. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” As believers who are free in Christ, we are called to submit ourselves to the service of others—an act of humility. The world tells a girl to focus attention on the “me”—how she feels, thinks, interprets, decides, and wants. But Scripture guides a girl to eliminate the ego of self in order to submit fully to the humble path of service God calls her to walk.

While Gen Alpha is still navigating childhood, researchers found that Gen Alpha’s leadership style and preferences are already taking shape. They look to their leaders to take on a “Co-Creator” role, while they often lead others in an “inspirational” style—put simply, they’re willing to sacrifice the “glory” for the good of the group. What we have learned is that Gen Alpha places great value on ideation, collaboration, and most importantly, relationships. So what does this mean for AHG Troop leaders? To instill values of servant leadership in our young girls, we must first authentically exemplify the behavior and invite them to the table. Servant leadership must become our lifestyle if we ever expect it to pass on to our girls. A Troop leader can take on the “Co-Creator” persona by listening to and executing girl ideas. Girl Leadership positions give girls the chance to put their people-first leadership style to work. The goal of this inspirational style is community-building and emotionally-attuned guidance. A servant leader takes the relationship a step further, seeking ways to humble and sacrifice her time, talent, and treasure to benefit those she leads.

Leading Leaders

Ultimately, the goal of a servant leader is to support and develop more capable leaders. Leadership is, after all, influence. Jesus carried out this model of legacy through his disciples. Jesus not only led with compassion, confidence, character, and consistency, but He also empowered His apostles to carry out His work when He was gone. Jesus cared for them, taught them, and gave them everything they needed. He also took time to prepare them for any task ahead. He always lovingly corrected them to build them up and help them. Jesus genuinely commanded respect without having to demand it. During His entire life of leadership on Earth, he exemplified humility through His obedience to God the Father.

As a servant leader, give the girls in your Troop a chance to try, fail, accomplish, and succeed. Give them roots through equipping, and then give wings by enabling. When appropriate, learn to relinquish control and allow them to connect with one another. When you allow them to provide input, you will quickly learn that there is more than one way to accomplish the same goal. Parents and Troop leaders can empower every Gen Alpha girl with the space she needs to do things in her own way—allowing each girl’s unique talents and leadership abilities to SHINE this Program Year.