What Happens When a Social Worker Becomes a Leader

by Anneke Krakers

     Have you ever thought of yourself as a leader? To be honest, I didn’t. I never have  thought of myself as a leader. As a social worker, I feel more like a servant, putting my life in service of people in need. Even when I was a CEO of a small social work organization, I didn’t see myself as a leader.

     I guess I always associated leadership with powerful people like presidents or people like Mandela and Ghandi.

     The first time someone asked me about my leadership statement, I was in shock. I’m a social worker. I’m no leader, I don’t have a statement.

     I had become an entrepreneur, and my coach wanted to know more about my leadership. I couldn’t come up with something that would make sense.

     Then she explained: if you want to make a difference in this world, you have to know what drives you. As an entrepreneur, you have to motivate yourself every single day to show up. You’re the captain of your journey. You’re the leader. So, what kind of leader do you want to be? What is your leadership statement?

     Perhaps you’ve been in a similar situation. When things get tough, how do you persist? When you’re on a journey, who’s in the driver's seat? When people look up to you, how do you act? Do you walk away from them, do you find yourself not worthy or do you open your arms to embrace them?

     I’ve learned that this is what leadership is about. Lead your life with a purpose. Show up in other people’s lives as an inspiring leader. Take responsibility.

     At the same time, I know that this is what social workers have to offer to the world: be true Leaders of Change. But why do we struggle with this? Why do we not see ourselves as these leaders? Why do we not speak about ourselves as leaders?

     A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to someone about my business. I was telling him my story, my dreams. All of a sudden, he gave me an insight that made my social soul very, very happy. And grateful! He said: "Anneke, listening to your story, it’s clear for me that you’re a servant leader."

     Wow! In one word: wow!

     That’s who I am. A social worker and a leader: a servant leader.

“The servant leader is servant first and focuses on the growth and well being of others. This conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” (Robert K. Greenleaf).

     And there it was. Finally. My leadership statement. I wrote it down in a minute and with a deep trust that it’s okay:

I am the servant leader of a community of social workers who truly want to change this world. I encourage them to break free from restrictive systems and beliefs. I teach them how to be more entrepreneurial to increase their impact. I coach them in building new, profitable, and sustainable social businesses.

     I wish that all social workers will be servant leaders. And that we all will use our powers to serve.

Anneke Krakers is a social worker AND an entrepreneur. She is a business mentor for social workers and the founder of the Social Worker Entrepreneur training programs.