The MCF teaches the following 19 principles of servant leadership in its Principles Course, offered as part of its servant leadership programs:

1. Leadership is about valuing people and relationships.  There is a leadership crisis in the world today because leaders have forgotten that every organization or company is successful thanks to its people and the relationships between them.  Leadership is not about having a position that manages other people.  Management is important, but it is about things.  People don't want to be managed - they want to be led.  Leadership is about people and relationships.

2. Leadership is about personal influence.  There are many kinds of influence.  We all influence and impact the people around us.  We can influence people by controlling them through power.  But, leadership is the kind of influence that comes from authority - where we earn the right to personally influence those that we lead.  This kind of influence will result in people volunteering their very best.

3. Leadership is the influence that comes from character.  The source of real authority is character.  Character is always identified as behavior that reflects the value of people and relationships.  Leadership is not about a position.  Leadership is when we choose to live by core values that value people and relationships.  We must develop and define the very core of who we are - our core values.

4. Valuing people: Respect.  Valuing people means that we have great respect for them.  Respect says that each person has great value and potential.  Respect is shown through many behaviors, including recognition, appreciation, listening, honesty, and belief in people.

5. Valuing people: Service.  If we truly value people, we will do more than only respect them - we will help them grow, develop and reach their potential.  Service says that we value people so much that we willingly sacrifice our own time, energy and resources to meet their needs.  Further, service understands that people are whole beings that have physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs.  Service that meets these needs is indistinguishable from the actions of love.  This is the basis of the ideas of servant leadership - where our first desire is to serve, not to be served.

6. Valuing relationships: Forgiveness.  Leadership is all about building healthy relationships while we work together to complete a task.  We cannot put the task or own pursuits above the relationship.  As we value relationships, we will be people of humility and acceptance.  We will hold judgment and desire the resolution of conflict.  Perhaps the greatest demonstration of valuing relationships is when we forgive.  Forgiveness is when we "give for" the relationship - giving up our own pride and hurt and truly forgiving someone.

7. Valuing relationships: Communication.  Relationships are built through communication.  Leaders who value relationships will make great effort to seek real, open communication.  The greatest source of conflict is miscommunication.  Leaders must be emotionally intelligent people of empathy.  Leaders must hold judgment, put themselves in other people's shoes, and try to understand the message that is being communicated.

8. Choice and the power of integrity.  Leadership is a choice.  In fact, leadership is about hundreds of choices we make every day.  Through discipline and will, leaders choose to behave according to their core values.  Leaders are people of responsibility.  Responsibility says that we are "able to respond" as we choose.  Through numerous "leadership moments" each day, leaders choose to respond to situations based on their core values, even when it is difficult.  This shows integrity - where leaders do what they say and show what they value in all situations - whether private or public.  Leaders of integrity are recognized and followed.  Such leaders are able to bring transformational change into their relationships and communities.

9. Purpose and passion.  Servant leaders recognize that each person has a purpose.  This purpose, contrary to popular opinion, is not about getting what we can, but it is about serving and giving and is connected with the universal value of people and relationships.  Many people have jobs and careers, but leaders recognize something deeper - people have unique experiences, gifts and abilities that enable them to serve others in special ways.  As leaders find their unique purpose, they develop a passion for service as they learn by doing.  Through each experience, leaders develop new ideas about how they can serve others even better.

10. Commitment and courage.  Servant leadership and living by core values is hard work.  Servant leaders must be committed to living by core values over the long-term, and they must have the courage to do so when it seems risky.  Servant leaders must be ready to push on and live out their core values in the face of negativism, skepticism, and financial and time pressures.

11. A vision for community.  Leaders who value people and relationships will understand the potential of people IN relationships.  This is the idea of community - an intricate web of people in relationship with each other.  People find great significance when they can play a meaningful role in something larger than themselves - the community.  However, people only find this significance through communities that value authentic communication, the unique purpose of each member, and interdependence.  Such communities can achieve great things as they work together.

12. Building community.  Servant leaders create a culture in the community that is founded on trust.  This starts as the leader lives out core values with integrity.  This kind of leader will have the authority to teach core values to the community and to legislate behavior consistent with these core values.  Servant leaders should be vulnerable and keep their promises.  The leader should create an atmosphere in the community of "we" as opposed to "me" based on equity, respect, teamwork and interdependence.

13. Encouraging and empowering.  A servant leader will choose to help each member of the community become successful.  The servant leader will encourage and empower - or "give courage" and "give power" to other members on the team.  This starts with actions of respect - where people's ideas are valued and their accomplishments are recognized and celebrated.  This also includes actions of service - where people are given significant roles and responsibilities along with the resources and flexibility to carry out these responsibilities.

14. Helping people to find their voice.  Stephen Covey has defined "voice" as unique, personal significance.  A servant leader will serve the community by helping each person to find their unique role of significance in the community.  This will be based on open, authentic communication with each person.  This role will take into account the whole person - their body, mind, heart and spirit.

15. Creating a vision.  Servant leaders serve the community by creating a vision.  A vision is a picture of the future that inspires hope and helps the community to set goals.  Servant leaders are able to create a great vision of bringing change to the world as we live by core values and value people and relationships.

16. Change and innovation.  Leadership is about change.  Leadership says that we can always improve on the way that we value people and relationships.  This includes improving the team, the product, the process, and how we serve one another and the customer.  Leaders create an environment where change and innovation is encouraged from every member of the team.

17. Serving the customer.  Servant leaders who live by core values create a culture of service in their companies.  Servant leaders model service - to employees and to the customer.  As employees are served by their leaders, they will learn how to serve and meet the needs of the customer.  Customer service is simply valuing the customer and the relationship with the customer.  Companies with these core values will understand that they work for the customer and will desire to meet the customer's needs.

18. Teaching leadership and the power of modeling.  Most of what people learn is through models, not by words.  Servant leaders should take advantage of every opportunity to model core values.  Servant leaders should teacher servant leadership constantly, and when necessary use words.  When leaders desire to bring change to those around them, they should first seek to change themselves.  Not only should leaders be models of leadership, but they should find good models of leadership and learn from them.

19. Reproducing leaders.  Servant leaders must specifically choose to mentor others who can replace them as leaders.  Servant leaders give away power and responsibility to those who can lead with core values and competence.