When most people think of leadership, they picture boardrooms, speeches, or strategy sessions. Rarely do they think of dinner tables, mismatched chairs, and lemony salad bowls. Yet last night reminded me that leadership doesn’t always look like authority, it often looks like hospitality. Gathering people, feeding them, and creating a space where they feel seen is leadership at its purest.
Hospitality is not just entertaining. It’s an act of service, and at times, an act of courage. The apostle Peter urged, “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9 NIV). Opening your door is opening your heart, and that’s what shapes a community.
The Table as a Platform
Hospitality transforms an ordinary table into a platform for growth. Hosting my small group wasn’t about showing off a perfect apartment or curated menu, it was about setting a stage for connection. The food became fuel, but the real feast was in conversation, laughter, and spiritual reflection.
Brené Brown once said, “Connection is why we’re here; it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” Leadership rooted in hospitality fosters exactly that: connection. It doesn’t demand a microphone; it invites chairs around a table.
Training by Letting Go
During a small group meeting, I let someone else lead the discussion. It was messy, imperfect, and beautiful. Leadership isn’t always about being the voice at the front, it’s about creating opportunities for others to rise. By stepping back, I witnessed someone step forward.
Max De Pree, former CEO of Herman Miller, wrote, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” Servant leadership shows up in small group circles as much as in corporate corridors. It’s less about spotlight, more about stewardship.
Hospitality as Legacy
Every act of hospitality plants seeds of legacy. People may not remember the dishes I served, but they will remember the feeling of being welcomed, fed, and seen. That is leadership, creating spaces where people belong.
Jesus modeled this when He washed His disciples’ feet. Leadership by hospitality is humble, grounded, and transformative. “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11 NIV). To host is to lead; to lead is to love.
Soul Insights
1. Hospitality multiplies presence.
Every time we open our homes, we create space for presence, not just ours, but God’s. Presence multiplies because when people gather, encouragement grows, and burdens are shared. Hospitality is the opposite of isolation; it reminds us that we are not alone in this journey. By showing up for others in simple, ordinary ways, we amplify the power of togetherness far more than we realize.
2. Serving is leading.
In a culture obsessed with titles and positions, service feels small but it is kingdom-sized in God’s economy. Serving others, whether by preparing a meal or setting a table, shifts the spotlight off of self and onto the needs of the community. Leadership that begins with service is leadership that lasts, because it builds trust and credibility. The heart of Christ was revealed not in command, but in kneeling with a basin of water and a towel.
3. Shared meals create shared lives.
Food is more than sustenance; it is a bridge. Around a table, walls fall down and stories rise up. A simple meal can turn strangers into companions and companions into family. Shared meals remind us that life is not meant to be hurried but savored, one bite and one conversation at a time. They create rhythms of intimacy that leadership by lecture can never produce.
4. Leadership grows by releasing control.
True leaders know when to step back and when to hand the reins to others. Releasing control is not weakness, it’s wisdom. By letting others step forward, we allow their gifts to grow, and in doing so, we multiply leadership instead of hoarding it. It takes humility to watch someone else lead, but it is also the surest sign of maturity. Leadership that clings too tightly stagnates; leadership that releases creates momentum.
5. Legacy is measured in belonging.
At the end of the day, no one will remember your résumé, but they will remember if you made them feel like they belonged. Belonging is the soil where trust, healing, and transformation take root. Hospitality is the vehicle that communicates belonging most powerfully, because it says, “You matter enough to have a seat here.” That is the kind of legacy that lingers long after the plates are cleared and the chairs are put away. Leadership leaves marks not in grand speeches but in the atmosphere of welcome it creates.
Final Thoughts
Hospitality is not a side note to leadership, it’s the center. It’s where titles fall away and love does the heavy lifting. Leading through hospitality is how we create spaces where people grow, belong, and find encouragement.
Your Turn
This week, invite someone to your table. It doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to be real. Open your door, share a meal, and watch how leadership begins in the simplest act of welcome.
© 2025 Amelie Chambord
Soul Path Insights 
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