What does it take to walk into the most powerful office in
the country every day yet not let that go to your head?
It would take one who is grounded and level-headed, not
easily affected by power, prestige and privileges. THE BUTLER is a
semi-fictional account of Eugene Ellen (1919 – 2010) who served as a butler in
the White House for over three decades. Like Nehemiah, Joseph and Daniel of the
Bible who served kings, he accepted the calling to serve as a butler, and knew
that his place was to let presidents be presidents, regardless how long he
served as a butler.
Ellen never let familiarity on the job and with powerful
presidents distort his concept of self. “You don’t hear or see anything in the
room.” Those who serve kings know that they have to keep their comments,
opinions, and emotions to themselves. They do not humanize their roles. Not for
a moment do they drop their composure, alertness and response in any situation.
Not everyone can serve kings or presidents. People in powerful positions
have complex undertakings that cannot be easily explained or their effects seen
over a short time. Those who serve them have to be mature, wise and so in touch
with themselves that they know that anything is subject to the error of flawed
assumptions and conclusions. They know that kings need to do what they
need to do, and they are responsible for taking care of kings – not their
decisions. They are impartial towards good and bad kings.
Those who have served kings long enough understand that the
most dangerous and challenging moments
are when kings confide their feelings. Kings and presidents do not need
friends, neither do they need servants to counsel them. That’s how kings remain
kings. Populists rarely make good kings for kings often become public enemy no.
1; whatever policies and whichever side they take, there will always be people who
disagree with what they do or say, or dislike their personality.
Those who serve kings don’t engage in gossip or murmurs that
trivialize or belittle kings. They serve kings each day, yet their lives are
not enmeshed with the kings’ lives. They do not idolize or become infatuated
with their kings. They serve kings and
keep a professional distance comfortable for kings to be kings, presidents to be
presidents, CEOs to be CEOs. And as they do, they know that many will benefit
from a head that is well-served.