Our Leaders Are But Trusted Servants.
Continuing with a series of posts on my take on the Twelve Traditions of various Twelve Step Groups and how they relate to servant leadership I present -
Tradition Two. “For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority-a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.”
This is the tradition where servant leadership is easiest to see; this tradition could simply say “We practice servant leadership.”
What makes this Tradition different from many other groups that focus on being led by a higher power is the freedom that Twelve Step groups offer their members in defining their own higher power, and the freedom individuals have to express what it is they hear their higher power calling them to be. What is important is not how you define this higher power, but simply that you acknowledge It. The terminology of the tradition may not make this clear as it reflects the Christian heritage of the drafters at the time the traditions were written (AA’s publication The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, was first published in 1953).
The spirituality of the group as expressed through the individual members is the group conscious. All members are equal, junior members and senior members bring equal value to the group; all are capable of expressing wisdom to inspire. Leadership roles are rotated throughout the membership. The primary role of leadership is to carry out the group conscience, not to dictate it. There is no dictator; there is cooperation.
Some thoughts on The Second Tradition.
Tradition Two. “For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority-a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.”
This is the tradition where servant leadership is easiest to see; this tradition could simply say “We practice servant leadership.”
What makes this Tradition different from many other groups that focus on being led by a higher power is the freedom that Twelve Step groups offer their members in defining their own higher power, and the freedom individuals have to express what it is they hear their higher power calling them to be. What is important is not how you define this higher power, but simply that you acknowledge It. The terminology of the tradition may not make this clear as it reflects the Christian heritage of the drafters at the time the traditions were written (AA’s publication The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, was first published in 1953).
The spirituality of the group as expressed through the individual members is the group conscious. All members are equal, junior members and senior members bring equal value to the group; all are capable of expressing wisdom to inspire. Leadership roles are rotated throughout the membership. The primary role of leadership is to carry out the group conscience, not to dictate it. There is no dictator; there is cooperation.
Some thoughts on The Second Tradition.
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