Ignatian/Jesuit Leadership

What is Ignatian/Jesuit Leadership all about.

(From Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney)

The conventional wisdom about leadership are:

(by Harvard Business Professor John Kotter:

1.  Establishing direction

2.  Aligning people through communication

3.  Motivating and inspiring

4.  Achieving results or change.

     May I add success

But what Ignatian leadership teaches are the following concepts (which are Jesuitical) if not contrary to the common Leadership wisdom

1.  We are all leaders and we may be doing it poorly or well;

2.  Leadership springs from what you do and who you are (it wells from within)

3.  It is not an act (a a one shot deal) but it is a way of life ( pp 1 to 15 Heroic Leadership4.  It is an on going process;  we can never be a perfect or complete leader (nor a hero or patriot

4. It is an ongoing process.  We are never a complete perfect leader, hero or patriot.  We are all journeying to become better leaders.

The lives of three early Jesuits:   Goes, Ricci and Clavius are illustrative of this Ignatian leadership.  Goes was an explorer, Ricci was a linguist, mapmaker, philosopher.   Clavius was a mathematician and astronomer.

Goes did not reach his destination, (Cathay or China) he did not find the silk road as alternative to sea voyage. So their leadership defies our common concept that it is about success.  For them, as we all understand about leadership it meant visioning, persevering, innovating, energizing  teaching.

As we have defined leadership over time:

1.  About defining moments

2.  Leader is a person in charge of an organization

3.  A person in charge of results

But their lives illustrate the rigors, the facts of leadership 

1.  Most of us never face the challenge of running an army or organization

2.  Life events unfold with so much unpredictability not covered by strategic plan or matehematical formula and we ave to rely on our wits and improvisation

3.  Few of us experience the defining moments.  Most of us face lives of routine albeit dull lmoments.

4.  We can realize the impact of our action on the world and people around us clearly albeit ambiguously at times.

OUR ACTIONS, OUR LIVES, CHOICES PERSONAL CONVICTION TO OTHERS HAVE VALUE.

And this is the concept we have to realize about Ignatian Leadership

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