Leading by Serving

In the past, my opinion has always been that leadership is a skill that people either have or they don’t. Some people are born leaders and others are followers. As I’ve grown though, I’ve come to realize that there are many different types of leadership styles as well as that there are good and bad leaders. For example, some leaders are given that title by chance of their job. Yet those who are supposed to be following them don’t trust them and they, quite honestly, don‘t care much about those they are supposed to be leading.

Sometimes by just not walking in step with the rest of the crowd, you stand out as a leader accidentally. Being a good leader may depend on just how far down a path you are willing to walk alone, if you believe in the cause, that others may see your sacrifice and determination, and have the courage to come up behind you and join you. And as I’ve learned, good leadership often involves serving the very ones you lead.


A short while ago, while at work at Crouse Hospital in the Emergency Department, we had an unlikely visitor. He was man in his 50’s who showed up in a pair of light green scrubs one evening, with a winning smile and a “can do” attitude. We were informed by our manager that this was Chris and he would be one of our new transporters. Immediately I started wondering why a guy of his age and with this much obvious charisma might possibly be working as a transporter. The only answer I could come up with is that he must have gotten involved in drugs or alcohol which short-circuited his great career potential. I also surmised that in time, the real personality problems that lay deep within his psyche would probably begin to emerge.

I happened to be wrong in all of my assumptions. I found out that this man was actually very successful. He happened to be Chris Farnum, Vice President of Finance at Crouse Hospital and he had recently been given the duty of being Interim Chief Nursing Officer as well. Knowing that he had little experience in this role and no clinical experience, he decided to become one of us for a while. I will always respect him for how he chose to take on his new role as our leader. He worked tirelessly from the moment he arrived each evening, which usually was around 5:30 after a long day of work in the office. He got along well with all the staff members and patients alike in the E.R. He would whisk patients all over the hospital and do any task that was asked of him.

(Pictured above on left Dr. Kronenberg, CEO of Crouse Hospital and Chris Farnum, VP of Finance, on right, at last year's Christmas Party. )

Once his secret identity was let out, he took in the many suggestions and problems that we brought to his listening ears. From housekeepers to physicians, we would tell him our concerns. It was almost therapeutic for us because for so long the E.R. had felt forgotten and suddenly we had someone who seemed to care. He saw first hand the resistance we received from inhouse staff when we would try to send patients up for admissions. He lived the chaos of continuous ambulance arrivals even after being put on diversion to try to stop their influx. He heard the profanities and insults of intoxicated patients and irate family members. He felt our pain, personally.


He took on this humble role, but he also led us as well. He encouraged us to put a smile on our faces and give each patient good customer service. This he did just by showing us how it should be done. There were times when we would be stressed out and feeling like we needed to go on diversion and he would encourage us to hold out a little longer. We knew that financially, the hospital did not want us to be on diversion, but having someone from Administration living the stress with us helped us to believe we could indeed stay off diversion a little longer. Because of his apparent care for us, we were willing to do just about anything that he asked of us.

Unfortunately, his time in the E.R. ended all too soon as a new, permanent Chief Nursing Officer was hired. But I was left with a sense of awe for this man. I kept mulling over in my mind trying to figure out what it was that I was so impressed with. Was it his humility? Was it his charisma? Was it his unique ability to lead such a stubborn and opinionated group of people like those of us in the E.R.? It was all that and more. There was something vaguely familiar about this leadership style. And finally I realized what it was.

The greatest leader of all times, Jesus Christ, did just what I saw Chris Farnum do, only to a much greater extent. He was God, with all the power that entailed. Yet, he stooped down to our level. He came down to earth, put on humanity and lived with all the pains and temptations that we have. He was their leader, yet he washed his disciples feet and even cooked meals for them at times. He wept over the stubborn city of Jerusalem who refused to accept his outstretched hand of love. And he performed many miracles for the sick, poor and outcasts of his day.


And while serving others, he asked of them service. By washing his disciples feet, he taught them that they should do this for others. By refusing to give in to temptation, he called us all to an even higher level of moral maturity. By reaching out to the poor and outcasts, he expressed the importance of compassion and God’s love for others. Jesus Christ taught a radical message of self sacrifice and obedience to God’s word. He did this not only by his words but by his actions. And his message has permeated practically every area of the globe even 2,000 years later.

As I reflect on the example of Chris Farnum as our temporary leader and then more on Jesus Christ, I am impressed with many things; one of them is the realization that true leadership means much more than giving orders. It means rolling up your sleeves and showing others that you are willing to serve with them. Self-sacrifice and determination in a leader are great qualities that inspire others to follow.