Is the Term “Servant/Leader,” an Oxymoron?

Is the idea of servant/leader just another Christian cliché that we’d like to be true but rarely is?

This week, I received the following email from a sharp, young aggressive 20 something guy, I’ve been meeting with, who’s still “kicking tires” spiritually.

“I have always wanted to lead. In fact, I’ve done a good job of it. I get moved by leading and having responsibility. It seem contradictory that a strong leader is also a servant.”

Is my young friend right? Is the notion of being a servant/leader contradictory? It almost seems so when we read passages like these;

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,” Matthew 20:26

“When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,” Mark 10:41-43

But the Bible also calls some to leadership in the church and in the home. And Moses, David and others were called to lead nations. I believe God would never command us to do the impossible, therefore servant/leadership must be doable.