Servant Leadership

Jeannette Alvarado is a Costa Rican researcher, consultant and keynote speaker on healthy relationships. She is a professional in Education, Psychology and Organizational Behavior. Since 1998, she has been researching about Servant Leadership as a key factor for effective organizational relationships and results. In 2007, she published a paper called “The Dark Side of Leadership.” Here, she explains the concept of the “dark side” as the human personality dysfunctions that develop unhealthy leadership patterns and the impact these patterns have on leadership effectiveness.

Jeannette is the Operations Director at Ciudad De Dios (City of God), a BIC church with 2000 members, located in San José, Costa Rica. In Ciudad de Dios, she has worked on and implemented a leadership development program, a Christian discipleship program, and pre- marital trainings and materials. In 2013, the BIC Church published her book “Dirigidos por Valores” (Led by Values) which is a Latin America perspective on the BIC Church Values. This book has been used by Spanish speaking BIC Churches in the US Southeast Conference and in several countries in Latin America.

Jeannette currently lives in San José with her husband, Johan. In their free time, you can probably find them at the movie theaters or at an Italian restaurant.
My Leadership Philosophy
I believe Servant Leadership is a key factor for effective organizational relationships and results. I believe that being a servant leader is the key to be a great leader (leaders should use their influence to serve others).

I believe the leader is the one responsible for defining the vision for an organization, for engaging the right talent for every role and for developing the best strategies to reach a desired goal.

I believe a leader cannot lead people effectively if s/he doesn’t love them. People trust leaders that care deeply for others.

I believe great leaders cultivate self-awareness. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and are humble enough to recognize they need others to reach goals. Regarding this, leaders should acknowledge their people.

I believe leaders should be committed to help people in their organizations grow. Leaders should nurture the growth process of the people who work with them. In addition, they must be an example of growth, so they can inspire others to grow as well.

I believe the best leaders use their influence and power to help people become better versions of themselves. In the words of Robert Greenleaf:

“The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?”

I believe Jesus is the best leadership model of all time. He embodies what every leader must be and do. He was credible because He was consistent with what He said and did. He also equipped and empowered those in whom he trusted to continue the work He started. He believed in people and people believed in Him.

In addition, I believe God has called men and women alike to be leaders where they are and to shed His light in the world.

I believe God created men and women with a unique purpose, as the Bible declares it in Psalm 138:8 (NLT): “The Lord will work out his plans for my life…”

I believe God chose us, man and women alike, before the foundation of the world to be holy (set apart) for His purposes, as the Scriptures declare it in Ephesians 1:4 (NLT): “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”

God promised to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, both men and women, and He has promised to use them both, as the Bible declares it in Acts 2:17-18 (NLT): “‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.”