Spirituality and Ethics
September 2008 Newsletter
LEADERSHIP AS VIRTUE
By Fr. Max Oliva, SJ
Since we are in an election year in the United States and in Canada an October election appears likely, it seems worthwhile to reflect on some of the leadership qualities we admire in the person of Jesus. Might our candidates for national office learn from his management style?
The following are some characteristics of his style as a leader:
A VISION: an effective leader needs to have a vision of what he or she wishes to accomplish, one that inspires others to join in the endeavor. We see Jesus’ ‘Vision Statement’ in the Sermon on the Mount, especially in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5).
SERVICE: above all Jesus saw himself as a servant. This point is made most poignantly clear at the Last Supper. After washing the feet of the 12, he said to them: “If I washed your feet, I who am Teacher and Lord, then you must wash each other’s feet” (John 13:14). The modern leader must find creative ways to live this lesson.
INTEGRITY: Jesus wasn’t afraid to speak the truth, even at personal cost. He was even willing to sacrifice his life for the benefit of others. He did not hesitate to meet challenges ‘head-on,’ especially when it came to dealing with the Pharisees. He had the serenity of a person who is confident in the knowledge that he is living rightly.
COMPASSION: we see this virtue most clearly in Jesus in his concern for the weakest in the society of his time – those who were economically poor, lepers, the blind, people who were crippled, a beggar, and many others besides (Matthew 15:29-31).
MERCY: Jesus believed in his disciples, like Peter, even when they failed to understand his mission (Matthew 16:21-23). Integral to mercy is patience, and forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean being a ‘doormat’; it means allowing others to make mistakes without condemning or rejecting them, knowing that we can learn from our mistakes and become better people.
EMPOWERMENT: unlike most of the religious leaders of his time, Jesus valued women and their contribution to his mission. He empowered – the woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:1-42), the penitent woman who washed his feet with her tears (Luke 7:36-50), and invited women to be his disciples (Luke 8:1-3).
BALANCE: Jesus knew the importance of taking time off, both by himself, to pray, and with his friends, to rest. Once he invited his followers to come to him and they would find rest, rest for their body and for their spirit (Matthew 11:28). He also enjoyed a good party, as at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1-11).
Fr. Max Oliva, S.J.
Return to main Spirituality and Ethics page.