From Authority to Agape: A Guide to True Servant Leadership in Business

To hear our full, unedited conversation, you can listen to the episode here

I’ve sat in rooms with some of the most powerful leaders you can imagine. People with immense responsibility, making decisions that impact thousands of lives and millions of dollars. But it’s rare to hear someone talk about the moment it all fell apart.

That’s why I was so honored to have Kurt Uhlir on the C-Suite Kingdom Seekers podcast. You might know him as the "king of scaling companies," a guy who has been in the trenches of $800M IPOs and $8.1B exits. But the story he shared with me wasn’t about the wins. It was about the week that brought him to his knees.

In a single week, Kurt discovered a seven-year affair, lost a hundred-million-dollar deal, and found out his dad had lung cancer. On the floor of a staircase in Chicago, he gave his life to Christ. And in that moment of surrender, everything began to change.

The High Cost of Worldly Success: A Wake of Destruction

Kurt was brutally honest about the leadership style that got him to the top. It was a style rooted in authority: "Do what I say, how I say, or you’re fired." And while it produced results on paper, it left a wake of destruction in its path—broken relationships, burnt-out teams, and a revolving door of talented people who just couldn’t thrive in that environment.

Sound familiar? Maybe you’re there right now. You’re hitting the numbers, you’re "successful," but you’re looking at the relational carnage around you and wondering,

"Is this really what God wants for me?"

That’s the question that sent Kurt on a journey to rediscover leadership, not from a place of power, but from a place of service.

The Shift from "Nice Boss" to True Servant Leader

So many of us have been taught that servant leadership just means being "nice." It means being a yes-person, making everyone happy, and avoiding conflict at all costs. But as Kurt so powerfully shared, that’s not servant leadership. That’s often just toxic empathy.

True servant leadership, the kind rooted in biblical agape love, is about willing the good of the other person. And sometimes, as we discussed in the episode, willing their good means saying "no." It means setting a standard. It means having the hard conversation because you care more about their long-term growth than their short-term comfort.

When Kurt shifted his approach, his team’s performance didn’t just improve—it transformed. They went from a culture of compliance to a culture of commitment. Why? Because they knew their leader had their back. They knew he was more invested in their growth than in his own ego.

Are You Building a Kingdom or Just a Company?

Here’s the question that Kurt’s story left me with: Are you building a kingdom or just a company? Are you using your gifts to serve God’s purposes, or are you just chasing the next dopamine hit of success?

I’ve been there. I know how intoxicating it can be to close the big deal, to see the numbers climb, to feel like you’re on top of the world. But as Kurt learned the hard way, that kind of success is empty if it costs you your family, your integrity, and your soul.

So, my invitation to you today is to take a hard look at your own leadership. Are you leading from a place of authority or a place of service? Are you creating a culture of compliance or a culture of commitment? Are you building a business that honors God, or one that just feeds your own ambition?

If you’re ready to lead differently, to build a business that is both successful and significant, I want to invite you to join us in our free Skool community. It’s a place where you can connect with other faith-driven entrepreneurs, get the support you need, and learn how to build a business that truly honors God.

Ready to take the next step?

• Join our FREE Skool community: skool.com/regulatedrootsacademy
• Explore our Academy programs: regulatedroots.com/academy
• Learn about our Agency services: regulatedroots.com/agency

Always rooting for you,

Dr. Lee