New view on leadership by Chris Lowney

'Quamplurimi et quam aptisimi" (As many as possible of the very best)

My conversation last night with Leader Doctor   on his Enneagram and his leadership role, before and after he retires makes this post restate the thesis of this leadership course

1. That it is not entirely about the common leadership views have as our paradigm for so long:

      1.  That a leader is charge of an organization, that he leads a multitude of men;

      2.  That the leader produces clear, direct and immediate results.

      3.  That is about big events -  game changing ideas, new strategy, new direction new vision.

      4.  That what mostly matters to the leader are visioning and strategic planning/ and execution

Thus the ordinary person who does not experience any of the above 3 cant just make it to the band of leaders.?   True?  New enrolees at MBA, those who are not part of big organization cant be leaders?  Those who took strama are only those destined for leadership?   Only those who went to leadership class, schools courses can become leaders? Others are hopeless to become leaders?


The thesis of this course, as we have seen inn the SJ role models of Goes, Ricci and Clavius, the unlike role models for leadership,  is that we do not have to be in 1, 2 or 3 to be leaders, ie that your work is to remembered.  A person, who works alone in the city or the barrio eg a doctor, is as much a leader as a Doctor who runs a 200 bed hospital.  We are always a leader to someone - we influence some one in our day to day interaction - the co worker, the seat mate in the plane or the bus, the co worker, or a patient, or our children, members of the family.  What we do is an example, influences others.  Over time, we shape the world around us with our thoughts, words, actions and cumulative achievement.

Everything that we do has value.  Everything we do is valuable activity for leadership.   Thus, the change for the man in the mirror has to happen now. Not tomorrow, not when you are 55   Not when you retire, when you are done minding the needs of your family. Thus, our forefathers who are farmers and fishermen and uneducated, our parents are as much leader as those  who took masters, went abroad, managed large businesses.

Rarely do our strategic or personal plans work out perfectly.  In the field and in our personal action, we have to do a lot of improvisation and critical thinking.  And that is leadership.

The art and practice of leadership must start now, Even as a single knowledge worker or practitioner.  Even when you do not have subordinates, or even when the results of your activity is as not as clear as a goal kick making it to the goal  in football.

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.