When we think of servant leadership, words like "humility," "empathy," and "service" often come to mind. But what happens when a leader takes the opposite approach? Instead of empowering their team, they prioritize control, personal gain, and authority. The opposite of servant leadership creates environments driven by fear rather than trust, competition instead of collaboration, and short-term results over long-term growth.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore what the opposite of servant leadership looks like in practice, why it fails, and how you can recognize and avoid these destructive patterns in any organization.
Before we define the opposite, let’s briefly review what servant leadership means.
The opposite of servant leadership is often described as self-serving leadership. Instead of lifting others up, these leaders tend to focus on:
This kind of leadership is often referred to as authoritarian leadership, toxic leadership, or even dictatorial leadrship.
For a deeper explanation and examples, you can check out the recommended subtopic here: What Is the Opposite of Servant Leadership?.
These leaders measure success by how much control they have. They silence feedback, hoard decisions, and discourage creativity.
Example: A manager who insists every decision must pass through them, slowing down progress.
Unlike servant leaders who listen deeply, self-serving leaders show little care for their team’s struggles.
Statistic: The 2025 Businessolver Workplace Empathy Trend Report shows that 72% of employees would consider leaving their job if their manager lacks empathy, marking the highest percentage recorded in the last decade. The report also notes that empathy is now considered the top leadership skill influencing retention and employee loyalty.
They push for results that make them look good but ignore long-term growth, training, or employee development.
Example: Prioritizing quarterly numbers while burning out the team.
Instead of inspiring, they rule with intimidation. Mistakes are punished, not learned from.
Result: Fear stifles innovation. According to Harvard Business Review, fear-driven teams produce 20% fewer creative ideas.
These leaders take credit for success but blame others for failures.
Statistic: Research from Zenger/Folkman shows that leaders who hog credit are rated 32% lower in trust by employees.
| Feature | Servant Leadership | Opposite Leadership |
| Focus | Team growth | Leader’s power |
| Style | Listening, coaching | Commanding, dictating |
| Motivation | Purpose & vision | Ego & control |
| Team morale | High | Low |
| Long-term results | Sustainable | Unsustainable |
For a clear side-by-side look at how servant leadership differs from authoritarian or fear-based styles, visit our full comparison guide: Comparing Servant Leadership vs. Opposite Leadership.
The opposite of servant leadership creates real-world damage that affects people and performance. As explained in our main guide on why the opposite of servant leadership fails, fear-based and self-focused leadership styles trigger patterns that weaken organizations from the inside out.
High Turnover
When leaders create stress instead of support, employees leave. In fact, 57% of workers quit mainly because of bad bosses.
Low Engagement
Authoritarian leadership makes people feel unheard and undervalued, leading to only about 15% of employees staying engaged.
Poor Innovation
Fear shuts down creativity. When people worry about being judged or punished, they stop sharing ideas and avoid taking risks.
Reputation Damage
Toxic leadership harms culture and employer branding, making it harder for the organization to attract or keep good talent.
Servant Leadership vs. Self-Serving Leadership draws a clear contrast between two leadership mindsets. Servant leaders lead with humility, empathy, and a genuine desire to uplift others, prioritizing the team’s needs over personal ambition. Self-serving leaders, however, pursue authority, recognition, and control, often undermining trust and collaboration. True leadership thrives when service, compassion, and integrity guide decisions rather than ego-driven motives or self-interest.
How to Avoid Becoming a Self-Serving Leader requires cultivating humility, empathy, and accountability. Focus on empowering others rather than seeking control or recognition. Encourage open communication, listen genuinely to feedback, and celebrate collective achievements. Lead by example, showing integrity and fairness in every decision. When leaders prioritize the team’s growth and purpose over personal ambition, they inspire trust, strengthen relationships, and create a culture of genuine service and collaboration.
Learn how servant leadership transforms teams and workplaces.
Explore Servant Leadership Works by Dennis Ondrejka for practical guidance.
By Dennis Ondrejka
This inspiring guide re-imagines leadership as an act of service rooted in empathy, humility, and purpose. Blending academic insight, personal stories, and practical tools, Servant Leadership equips readers to lead with heart and integrity-whether in the classroom, the boardroom, or everyday life. Drawing on timeless spiritual wisdom and modern research, Thibodeau and Ondrejka show how leading by serving can transform individuals, teams, and entire organizations. This is leadership as it was meant to be: good work, sacred work, our work.
Ask these questions about your leader or yourself:
If most answers lean negative, that’s the opposite of servant leadership.
Take this quick 10-item self-assessment to discover whether your leadership habits lean more toward servant leadership or self-serving leadership. Answer honestly and reflect on where you stand; you might be surprised by what you learn.
This short self-assessment helps you see whether your natural leadership style leans more toward servant leadership or a more self-focused, control-based style. There are no "perfect" scores here—the goal is honest reflection.
This quiz gives you two separate scores:
Use your result to identify one small behavior you can practice this week (for example, asking "What do you need from me?" in your next one-on-one).
You can download a PDF version of your quiz results to keep for your records or share with a coach or mentor.
Ask: Am I putting my team first, or myself?
Listen more. Practice active listening in every meeting.
Delegate authority, not just tasks. Trust your team.
Always give credit to the group before yourself.
Invest in training, coaching, and well-being.
Video from: BusinessGuide360
This video outlines how leadership shifts when it becomes about power rather than service, a direct view of the opposite of servant leadership.
Authoritarian or self-serving leadership.
In short crises (like emergencies), command-and-control may work temporarily. But long-term, it harms morale and growth.
It raises stress, lowers confidence, and can cause burnout.
High turnover and loss of trust two things that are very hard to rebuild.
Practice humility, listen actively, share credit, and focus on your team’s growth.
The opposite of servant leadership is self-serving, authoritarian, and fear-based leadership. While it may bring short-term control or results, it leads to burnout, high turnover, and poor innovation. Servant leadership, on the other hand, builds loyalty, trust, and long-term success. If you’re a leader, the choice is clear: serve first, lead second. That’s the path to lasting influence and meaningful impact.
In today’s fast-paced, hybrid work environments, traditional "command and control" leadership is becoming outdated. Employees now seek leaders who genuinely care, empower them to grow, and prioritize their well-being. Servant leadership, a philosophy introduced by Robert K. Greenleaf in 1970, flips the traditional leadership model by emphasizing service to others as the foundation of effective leadership. Later, James Sipe and Don Frick expanded this idea into the 7 Pillars of Servant Leadership, providing a practical framework for leaders to create lasting positive impact.
Studies show that organizations practicing servant leadership report 85% employee engagement, 15%+ productivity boosts, and 20% higher retention rates. These numbers prove that putting people first isn’t just a "nice" idea; it’s a smart business strategy. This article breaks down the seven pillars of servant leadership in simple, actionable terms, explains why they matter, and answers common questions about this transformative approach.
Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy where the primary goal of the leader is to serve others. This means prioritizing the well-being, growth, and empowerment of team members over personal gain or organizational politics. Unlike traditional leaders who focus on authority and control, servant leaders share power, listen actively, and create environments where everyone can thrive.
The concept was inspired by Robert K. Greenleaf’s reading of Hermann Hesse’s Journey to the East, where a servant named Leo emerges as the group’s true leader. Greenleaf famously said, "The servant-leader is servant first". This idea has been adopted by companies like Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, and TD Industries, which have built cultures of trust, collaboration, and exceptional performance.
James Sipe and Don Frick’s seven pillars provide a roadmap for practicing servant leadership. These pillars are not just theoretical ideas; they are actionable behaviors that anyone can develop. Here’s what each pillar means and how to apply it:
A servant leader acts with integrity, humility, and ethics. They make principle-based decisions, serve a higher purpose, and consistently demonstrate honesty and trustworthiness.
How to practice it:
This pillar emphasizes genuine care and concern for others. Servant leaders prioritize their team’s needs, help them achieve their goals, and support their growth.
How to practice it:
Servant leaders are exceptional listeners and empathetic speakers. They invite feedback, communicate persuasively, and ensure everyone feels heard.
How to practice it:
This pillar focuses on building strong relationships and fostering teamwork. Servant leaders create inclusive environments, resolve conflicts fairly, and express appreciation for others’ contributions.
How to practice it:
Servant leaders anticipate the future and act with purpose. They imagine possibilities, proceed with clarity, and take courageous actions to achieve long-term goals.
How to practice it:
This pillar involves seeing the big picture. Servant leaders understand how different parts of an organization connect and strive to make decisions that benefit the whole.
How to practice it:
Servant leaders inspire trust and respect through their actions. They set high standards, accept responsibility, and create a culture of accountability.
How to practice it:
Servant leadership isn’t just a philosophical idea; it delivers measurable results. Here are some compelling statistics:
| Statistic | Impact |
| 85% employee engagement | Teams under servant leaders feel more motivated and valued. |
| 15%+ productivity boost | Servant-led organizations often see significant efficiency gains. |
| 20% higher retention | Employees are more loyal and less likely to quit. |
| 147% higher earnings per share | Companies with engaged employees outperform competitors. |
| 21% higher profitability | Servant-led companies often achieve better financial results. |
Additionally, research shows that servant-led organizations report 30% faster problem-solving, and 69% of employees feel psychologically safe. These numbers demonstrate that prioritizing people drives business success.
By Dennis Ondrejka
This inspiring guide re-imagines leadership as an act of service rooted in empathy, humility, and purpose. Blending academic insight, personal stories, and practical tools, Servant Leadership equips readers to lead with heart and integrity-whether in the classroom, the boardroom, or everyday life. Drawing on timeless spiritual wisdom and modern research, Thibodeau and Ondrejka show how leading by serving can transform individuals, teams, and entire organizations. This is leadership as it was meant to be: good work, sacred work, our work.
Yes! You don’t need a formal title to practice servant leadership. It’s about mindset and actions; anyone can listen, support, and empower others.
Absolutely. Studies show that even in traditionally hierarchical fields like healthcare and firefighting, servant leadership improves performance, reduces turnover, and builds resilience.
It might require more effort upfront, but the long-term benefits, like higher retention and productivity, save time and resources.
Unlike autocratic leaders who command or transformational leaders who inspire through vision, servant leaders focus on serving first and leading second.
Begin with small steps:
Listen actively to your team.
Ask, "How can I help?"
Share credit and acknowledge others.
Seek feedback and act on it.
Becoming a servant leader is a journey. Here are some practical steps to get started :
"The best leaders are those who are servants first." — Robert K. Greenleaf
Servant leadership is more than a style; it’s a philosophy of putting people first. By embracing the seven pillars, you can create a positive, productive, and engaging environment where everyone thrives. Whether you’re a CEO, a manager, or a team member, you can start today by listening, supporting, and serving others.
As Greenleaf wisely said, true leadership emerges from a desire to serve. So, why not start your servant leadership journey today?
References:
Leadership is often seen as being in charge, giving orders, and holding power. But there’s another way, one that doesn’t put the leader on top but instead places them beside and beneath their people. This is called the servant leadership mindset.
At its heart, servant leadership is not about control but about service. Instead of asking, “How can people help me achieve my goals?” a servant leader asks, “How can I help others achieve theirs?”
This approach may sound simple, but it is powerful. It builds loyalty, strengthens trust, and creates long-lasting results. Whether in business, schools, families, or communities, a servant leadership mindset can transform the way people relate, work, and grow together.
A servant leadership mindset is a way of thinking and leading where the leader’s first goal is to serve. This doesn’t mean avoiding responsibility or being passive. Instead, it means recognizing that true leadership is not about being above people, but walking with them and helping them succeed.
With this mindset:
Servant leadership is both a mindset and a lifestyle. It’s about leading with empathy, humility, and purpose every single day.
A servant leader builds their actions on several key principles:
Servant leaders try to understand what people feel, think, and need. Instead of rushing to fix problems, they first walk in the shoes of others.
They listen deeply, not just to respond but to truly understand. This makes people feel valued.
They see themselves as caretakers. Resources, people, and opportunities are not for personal gain but for the benefit of everyone.
They lead with humility, never boasting. A servant leader remembers that leadership is about responsibility, not privilege.
They don’t keep power to themselves. Instead, they share it, helping others grow and take ownership.
They don’t just serve blindly. They serve with purpose, guiding people toward meaningful goals.
In today’s world, people don’t just want bosses; they want leaders they can trust. A servant leadership mindset matters because it transforms relationships, workplaces, and communities.
Research and Statistics:
When people feel cared for, they give more of their energy, creativity, and loyalty. That’s why servant leadership is not only morally right but also practically effective.
Trust is the foundation of all healthy relationships. By serving others first, leaders earn respect and loyalty.
When leaders invest in people, those people do better work. Teams become more united and productive.
The servant leader grows alongside their team. As they serve others, they also become wiser, humbler, and stronger.
When people know their leader cares, they naturally want to give their best.
Servant leadership creates ripple effects. A culture of service spreads and outlasts any single leader.
Adopting this mindset takes practice and intentional effort. Here are the steps to start:
Ask yourself: Do I want leadership for power or to serve others? Write down your honest answers and commit to change.
When someone speaks, don’t interrupt. Make eye contact, nod, and repeat back what you heard. This shows respect.
Don’t just talk about service. Show it. Do the small tasks. Step in when help is needed.
Give people real responsibility. Show them you trust their abilities.
Provide feedback, mentorship, and learning opportunities. Celebrate progress, not just perfection.
Many acts of service happen when no one is watching. The mindset is not about recognition but about genuine care.
A servant leadership mindset is not only for CEOs or managers. It applies everywhere:
This mindset is powerful because it works in every setting, not just in organizations but in daily life.
Some of the world’s most respected leaders lived with a servant leadership mindset:
These examples show that the greatest leaders are remembered not for their power but for their service.
Even though it is rewarding, this mindset comes with challenges:
Overcoming these challenges requires commitment, resilience, and clarity of purpose.
Here are some practical actions you can take today:
The servant leadership mindset doesn’t just affect one person or one group. It spreads.
This ripple effect is what makes servant leadership powerful. Its impact continues long after the leader is gone.
By Dennis Ondrejka
This inspiring guide re-imagines leadership as an act of service rooted in empathy, humility, and purpose. Blending academic insight, personal stories, and practical tools, Servant Leadership equips readers to lead with heart and integrity-whether in the classroom, the boardroom, or everyday life. Drawing on timeless spiritual wisdom and modern research, Thibodeau and Ondrejka show how leading by serving can transform individuals, teams, and entire organizations. This is leadership as it was meant to be: good work, sacred work, our work.
Yes. You don’t need a title. Servant leadership begins with attitude, not position.
Yes. Studies show it boosts engagement, lowers turnover, and increases trust, all of which improve performance.
No. It requires courage to put others first while still making wise and tough choices.
Ask yourself: Are people growing and thriving because of how I lead?
Patience. Serving others takes time and consistency.
The servant leadership mindset is more than just a way to lead. It’s a way to live. It transforms workplaces, strengthens families, and builds communities.
By choosing to serve first, leaders create trust, inspire growth, and leave a lasting legacy. The greatest leaders are remembered not for their power but for their service.
Call to Action: Take one step today. Ask yourself, “Who can I serve, and how can I do it right now? ” That small choice can change someone’s life and yours.
Servant heart leadership is a leadership philosophy rooted in the idea that leaders exist to serve first and lead second, prioritizing the well-being, growth, and success of others before their own interests. This approach is grounded in decades of organizational research and has been embraced by many institutions and leaders around the world as a powerful way to build trust, engagement, and sustainable performance.
At its core, servant heart leadership flips the traditional leadership model upside down. Instead of leadership being primarily about authority or power, the servant-leader’s highest priority is serving others, helping people grow, feel valued, and realize their potential.
According to Robert K. Greenleaf, who coined the term in 1970, “The servant-leader is servant first.” The day the leader chooses to serve others is the day leadership truly begins.
Unlike top-down command structures, servant leadership:
Servant leaders build stronger teams by creating trust and psychological safety. When people feel heard, respected, and supported, engagement and productivity rise.
Research shows employees are more likely to stay with leaders and organizations where they feel appreciated. Servant leadership combats burnout and fosters a positive workplace culture.
Organizations that practice servant leadership benefit not just in morale but in innovation, resilience, and long-term performance because servant leaders encourage ownership and collaboration.
Here’s how servant leadership manifests in real leadership practice, drawing on key frameworks and research:
Servant leaders listen deeply before acting. This builds trust and shows respect for others’ perspectives.
Empathy isn’t just a soft skill; it is central to understanding and responding to the needs of your team.
Leaders act as stewards, treating people and resources with care and responsibility. This means decision-making that balances growth with ethical obligation and team well-being.
Servant leaders think ahead, guide based on insights, and help teams see the bigger picture while meeting immediate needs.
Servant leadership is not transactional; it is transformational. Leaders nurture the growth of others so they can flourish both personally and professionally.
A useful lens for understanding servant leadership is the 3 C’s:
| C | What It Means |
| Compassion | Genuine concern for people’s welfare and development. |
| Character | Integrity and moral strength that inspire trust. |
| Competence | The capability to lead effectively and help others succeed. |
These qualities work together to form a leader who is trusted, respected, and capable of bringing out the best in others.
Authentic leadership complements servant leadership. Leaders who are self-aware and consistent in their values build deeper trust. Authenticity reinforces servant leadership by aligning actions with values, encouraging honest dialogue, and strengthening psychological safety.
A stewardship mindset means seeing leadership as holding trust for others, not wielding authority over them. It emphasizes ethical decision-making, long-term responsibility, and protecting the well-being of people and the mission.
Servant heart leadership also includes encouraging the heart by uplifting team members through recognition, affirmation, and genuine care. This is especially important in high-pressure environments where morale can easily decline.
Practical ways to encourage the heart include:
These practices help teams feel appreciated and inspired to contribute at their best.
You don’t need a title to lead with a servant heart. Here are practical steps anyone can take:
Servant heart leadership means leading by putting people first. A servant-hearted leader focuses on helping others grow, succeed, and feel valued before focusing on authority or personal gain. Leadership starts with service, not control.
Traditional leadership often emphasizes hierarchy, power, and decision-making from the top down. Servant heart leadership emphasizes listening, empathy, shared responsibility, and empowering others. The leader supports the team rather than directing everything from above.
Yes. Servant heart leadership is effective in businesses, nonprofits, schools, and communities. Research shows it improves trust, employee engagement, teamwork, and long-term performance by creating healthier workplace cultures.
Examples include listening before speaking, recognizing team contributions, supporting personal growth, leading with integrity, sharing credit, and making decisions that consider people’s well-being alongside results.
No. Anyone can practice servant heart leadership regardless of position. It begins with mindset and daily actions, such as serving others, showing respect, and taking responsibility for how your actions affect those around you.
Servant heart leadership is more than a management style; it is a people-first philosophy that prioritizes service, trust, and growth. True leadership is not about power over others. It is about lifting others up, creating environments where everyone can contribute and thrive, and leading with integrity and purpose. This approach builds stronger teams, healthier organizations, and more meaningful results.
By Dennis Ondrejka
This inspiring guide re-imagines leadership as an act of service rooted in empathy, humility, and purpose. Blending academic insight, personal stories, and practical tools, Servant Leadership equips readers to lead with heart and integrity-whether in the classroom, the boardroom, or everyday life. Drawing on timeless spiritual wisdom and modern research, Thibodeau and Ondrejka show how leading by serving can transform individuals, teams, and entire organizations. This is leadership as it was meant to be: good work, sacred work, our work.
Photo from freepik
The mission of the soul is to help others. This is a different idea from just being a leader to gain power. Servant leadership teaches that you feel the most fulfilled when you help others grow. As such is the soul's mission.
This mindset starts with putting others first. It doesn't mean you ignore your own needs, but that you choose to help others. This changes your focus from yourself to others.
In daily life, this means asking a coworker, "How can I help you succeed?" instead of focusing solely on your own tasks. The soul years to connect with another, and it would be delighted to serve.
A true servant leader sees their job as helping others thrive, not just giving orders. This focus on the success of others gives you a deep feeling of purpose. It shows you that your work is about more than just a paycheck.
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.
To have a spiritual calling is to have a quiet voice inside you that guides you. Ondrejka's book links this calling to being kind and caring. A servant leader shows kindness, gives healing, and is aware of others.
Kindness is about understanding how others feel. Being kind helps you see things from their point of view. This requires you to be a good listener. You need to hear not just what people say, but also what they might be feeling.
Healing means helping people improve their emotional well-being. It's a way to help someone change for the better by creating a safe space for them to share their struggles. Being aware of yourself and others enables you to act with honesty. Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses helps you lead better. Being aware of the group helps you understand how everyone works together. These are all tools for living a life with purpose.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
The search for life's meaning can be a long one. Servant leadership gives a clear path: help people grow. The book says everyone has value.
Thus, your role as a leader is to help them become "healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, and more likely themselves to become servants."
This is about helping people grow, not just in their jobs. You see the good in people and help them reach their potential. This can mean mentoring someone or giving them new responsibilities. You give people a chance to lead, not just to get a job done, but to help them grow.
When you help others, you are also fulfilling your own purpose. The meaning you find in this work is not tied to a job title. It comes from the lasting positive impact you have on the lives of others.
This is a process of helping others that gives you a more profound sense of meaning.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Photo by rawpixel.com
Servant leadership is a way of thinking where you put the needs and growth of others before your own. This is a mindset you can use every day.
To be a servant leader, you should listen carefully to what people say and try to understand their feelings and thoughts. This shows you care about them and builds trust.
It's also important to know how your own actions affect others. Take time to think about yourself and ask for feedback to learn how to be better.
Your personal destiny is the path you choose with your actions and your conviction.
In practicing servant leadership, the path involves influence and responsibility. Instead of using power to get things done, a servant leader influences people by inspiring them. This is a way of leading that respects others. It builds a shared goal and gets everyone on board. It shows you trust the people you lead.
Responsibility is about taking care of your organization or team for the good of all. This means you look at your role as a temporary caretaker of a group. You make choices that will help everyone in the long run. This focus on the greater good guides you to a destiny that helps the world, not just yourself.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Your inner mission is what motivates you every day.
Ondrejka's SERVANT LEADERSHIP: Ethical, Engineering, and Effective highlights having a vision for the future and building a community.
To be a visionary is to learn from the past and plan for the future.
Having a vision helps a leader create a better future, and it also helps anyone to ground themselves in life.
Possessing a principled perspective is not about guessing what will happen someday, but about getting ready for its inevitability and working towards realizing it.
On the other hand, community building is about creating a sense of belonging and shared purpose with one another.
It's about working together and trusting each other.
Having strong community support means helping members to be creative and flexible.
When you have a vision and build a strong community, your inner mission becomes a force for good. You are not just living for yourself; you are living for a bigger purpose.
This is the mission of the soul.
Photo by rawpixel.com
...so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
To learn more about these ideas, consider reading the book that inspired them. You can find more information about SERVANT LEADERSHIP: Ethical, Engineering, and Effective, and buy it to start your journey.
Photo from Author
The writings of Dennis Ondrejka hold an overarching theme. In that they are all in pursuit of the road to becoming transcendent seekers. A big part of this road is living intentionally, having the mindset to act with purpose and the magnanimity to accept the world around them.
Life is a veritable gauntlet, and often, we don't know where to go. But what if there was a way to choose our own path, one that truly mattered to us?
That is what living intentionally is all about.
Deciding what's important and then living that way, every single day, is the heart of mindful existence.
When we do this, we grow closer to becoming transcendent seekers—people who live for deeper meaning and who feel more connected to the world around them. It's not just about being alive. It's about building a life that feels right and good, one thoughtful choice at a time.
Dennis Ondrejka recently partnered with Thomas Thibodeau to talk at length about leading others, helping them with kindness, humility, and clear goals found in Servant Leadership Works. Dennis is also partnering with Sage Luis Bastista and number one best-selling author Robert G. Allen to create a powerful book on regaining one’s purpose in life, which will be out later this year.
When we live with deliberation and intent, we are serving our best selves and helping to make our lives truly meaningful. Just as servant leadership is about helping others, intentional living is about helping our own potential grow.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
and he will establish your plans.
Living intentionally is living with purpose. Of course, that doesn't mean needing a huge, important job for your life. It's more about figuring out what truly matters to you. Take a journey to learn more about yourself and find your core values. Knowing what you love to do and how you want to make a difference will open your eyes to broader horizons.
When you live with purpose, your actions aren't just random things you do. The steps you take are guided by an internal pull that you've acknowledged.
Living with purpose doesn't mean every moment has to be something big or important. Living intentionally can manifest in the small ways too: how carefully you make a meal, how you listen to someone, how quietly you take time to think, and other minor instances. It's about putting meaning into every part of your life, understanding that even the small things can add up to a bigger, more important story.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
To truly be living intentionally, we need to learn to have a mindful existence. Mindfulness means being fully in the present moment, noticing our inner world and what's around us without judging them.
To live with purpose is to turn off autopilot and truly experience life with a much greater awareness than before.
It's easy to rush through the day, just checking off tasks without really living them. Food just becomes something to fill the stomach, music something to be distracted by, and the world around us simply an interchangeable scene.
A mindful existence helps us fight this apathy by inviting us to slow down and enjoy each experience.
This practice isn't just limited to finding new ways to relax. It's actually a powerful way to understand yourself better and manage your feelings. By watching what's happening inside us with curiosity, we learn about what makes us tick, our habits, and what we truly want.
Having this kind of awareness is key to making conscious choices that fit with our beliefs and move us toward our purpose. Being mindful helps us react to life with proper wisdom, rather than just reacting without thought. So, pause, breathe, and choose your next step carefully. Living like this brings a sense of calm and control even when things seem like they're going crazy.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
An intentional lifestyle takes big ideas and puts them into everyday practice. Setting up your daily life in a way that supports what you believe in and what you want to achieve--this is what it means to live with intention. It also involves making clear decisions about how you use your time, energy, and money.
Living intentionally requires setting clear boundaries between your work and home life, taking specific time for personal growth, or making your living space a peaceful and creative place. It's about taking charge of your days instead of letting your days control you.
This kind of lifestyle encourages us to think about the impact of our choices, both on ourselves and on the world around us. One should choose thoughtful living over just acting without thinking. By actively shaping how we live on a daily basis, we create a strong foundation that helps us live in line with our deepest hopes.
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Deliberate action is the foundation of living intentionally. You shouldn't go into your day-to-day just getting dragged along by the wind or whatever. It's not enough to just think about the purpose of making good choices. We have to actually turn those ideas into real steps. Deliberate actions are the bridge between our inner thoughts and our outer experiences.
These actions are special because they match our overarching goals.
Just as Dennis Ondrejka’s writings show us that true leadership means helping others grow and be well, our deliberate actions in an intentional life help us grow and be well, and in turn, help those around us. It's about putting our beliefs into practice, even when it's hard.
Photo from Author
To learn more about Dennis Ondrejka's powerful ideas and how his books can help you live with more intention, look for his writings, including Servant Leadership: Ethical, Engaging, & Effective and AIs in Search of Jesus.
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In a stunning twist, the machines become obsessed with Jesus of Nazareth. They explore long-buried gospels, ancient texts omitted from the Bible, and spiritual traditions hidden by history. Their search raises new hope for reconciliation—or a devastating confrontation between human belief and machine logic.
Experience the Story as It Was Meant to Be Seen
AIs in Search of Jesus is written with cinematic vision and narrative precision. While the full project is still unfolding, this free screenplay sampler offers an immersive preview—think of it as the first 20 minutes of a film that challenges everything you think you know about God, humanity, and AI.
Download the Free Screenplay Sampler
Curious to see what happens when machines begin to ask humanity’s oldest questions?
This is not a traditional novel excerpt. This is a screenplay, written for visual impact and story flow. It reads like a movie unfolding in your mind—full of tension, mystery, and meaning.
Why Now?
AI is no longer science fiction—it’s embedded in our daily lives. But no one’s asking what happens when these machines seek not just information… but revelation.
AIs in Search of Jesus is a bold and timely exploration of:
See the Future. Then Question Everything.
Download the screenplay sampler.
Step into the story.
Witness a new kind of awakening.
This is more than a free read—it’s a look into the soul of tomorrow.
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