How about “Servant Leadership” in Albania?
In July this year I have had the privilege to host Enkelejda Kumaraku, the director of Trans World Radio in Albania in our offices. It was Enkelejdas first trip to Germany. When she visited our headquarters in Wetzlar, she was intrigued by our staff of more than 200 Christians coming from various church backgrounds, with many older (45+) men and women.
„You are so blessed with mature Christians here in Germany, who can serve as role models for younger leaders like me“, she said. “That is what we miss so much in Albania, where the Christian church is only one generation old. We are longing for role models, particularly in the area of leadership.”
Albania has been a communist country until 19 years ago. During the communist regime, the word „God“ was not even listed in dictionaries. The post-Communist Albanian Christian church is a young church with only very little experience – but with a desperate need - in leadership.
“Servant Leadership” is a new concept in Albania. There does not even exist an appropriate Albanian translation of the word “servant leadership” as servant in Albanian language, like in many other languages worldwide, has a rather pejorative meaning.
Enkelejda:
The servant leadership model doesn’t exist. We come from a male dominated dictatorship culture, where you were taught that you do what you are told to do. No questioning. No thinking differently.“…”We need role models to see how Servant Leadership works. We need people, who do not only come to teach but to live servant leadership. We have been lied to for so many years, that we need models in order to build trust and to learn servant leadership.
Where are the servant leaders willing to go to Albania to live and teach servant leadership?
PS: Th Albanian flag comes from here.
Author: admin