Dare Great Things For Christ: Recent Episodes
Fr. Nathan Cromly
For as much as it’s important to remember the difficulties and challenges of leadership it’s also vital that we keep touch with the inner joy that iw the right of every leader. Christian leaders especially have the obligation to embody this joy because we serve at the pleasure of the greatest of rulers, Jesus Christ. But staying joyful in leadership is not always easy. In this first part of our new series we study the first secret to joyful leadership: casting a vision for a dream worth dreaming.
Whether we like it or not leadership means standing alone. Of course we need to lead others, so others are always a part of our lives, but whenever you take in things great or small you end up facing the fact that you alone are responsible for the change that you have initiated. And solitude can be uncomfortable for many. But for a Christian it becomes the meeting place with Jesus Christ and an essential aspect of our spirituality as leaders. And this is especially true when we find ourselves at the center of an organization.
They say it’s lonely at the top and they mean it. Anyone who engages in leadership in the footsteps of Christ know that the labors involved are intense and often overlooked. The fact is the most important jobs are often the most thankless. Those who engage in leadership have to accept the loneliness of the grind. Lonely of course because no one else is there but not lonely if we know Jesus. In fact, Jesus wants to work with us.
Without a doubt one of the hardest parts of being a leader is that we have to embrace solitude. In this series we are looking at the various dimensions or kinds of solitude that leaders embrace and how Jesus meets each one of us along the way. In this fourth part of our series we focus in on the solitude of risks. On the fact that when we decide to act we inevitably have to act alone. Or do we? Perhaps it’s in our greatest solitude that we find union with Christ.
Across the board and throughout time leaders have always complained about being alone. The expression “it’s lonely at the top” says it well. But this loneliness is not always a bad thing, in fact, usually it is the result of doing what leaders have to do. When you lead you’re first and when you’re first you’re necessarily alone. In this third part of our series on embracing solitude we look at the particular solitude that comes from planning and the surprising ways that we can find Christ there.
Every entrepreneur knows that having a good idea is only the beginning of the process. To be successful you need to take that idea to market. This involves production which involves people, organization, and year of hard effort. At times the loneliness of the innovator can be so intense that we want to stop innovating altogether. And yet innovation, novelty, beginning new things is part and parcel of the call to evangelize. How does Christian grace sanctify the innovator’s solitude.
One of the most commonly used phrases to describe the experience of leadership is “it’s lonely at the top.” The phrase resonates with leaders of all stripes and colors but what does it mean for a Christian? Is there a way to find a deeper meaning to the solitude of leadership? How did Jesus live His life as a leader? How did the saints do it time and again? And in what way can this pathway of solitude be a pathway of holiness for us today? Here is Part One of our new series Embracing Solitude.
Following the footsteps of Christ into leadership is a wild ride. Anytime you step forward to change the status quo you need to be ready for anything that can come. And yet for all of its challenge is there really any other way to live? Anytime we exert our personal freedom we change the world around us. Maybe the problem isn’t that we are making a difference, maybe the problem is that we aren’t comfortable with the wild ride. This is where St. Paul can help us. In this final episode of our series we see how St. Paul lived life on the edge.
It's one thing to want to Dare Great Things For Christ and begin new initiatives and projects, it’s quite another thing to finish them. The first stage in any initiative is dreaming, hoping, and aspiring for great things. But carrying through our aspirations all the way to the end requires another set of skills. It requires sacrifice, dedication, and just pure grit. St. Paul embodied all of those qualities and gives us an example of leadership that continues to inspire us today.
Let’s face it, trying to accomplish things can be exhausting. Acting upon decisions that we’ve made means spending valuable resource, our time and our energy in pursuit of them. At first this experience can be euphoric, but soon it can turn into burn out. We who are in leadership have engaged in lives that are dedicated to this type of action. What are we supposed to do when we feel burn out? What did St. Paul do to counter his exhaustion? In this next class we will try and find out.
One thing is for sure: to do anything, you have to start doing it. A lot of people have ideas, ideas that can even change the world, but if they don’t start and actually make things happen nothing will ever get done. The same held true for the lives of the saints like St. Paul. He too had to face many obstacles, and he lived in constant uncertainty, and yet he started things anyway. Starting is an art and a science, and I hope St. Paul’s example can inspire you today.
If there’s one thing anybody in charge of anything has in common with each other it’s that leaders of any kind need to know where they’re going. So what do we do when we don’t know where we are going? The situation can even be harder for Christian leaders who are trying to become instruments of God. How do we do something that is entirely beyond our power? St. Paul gives an example of how to walk in the fog. His life was full of unknowing and yet he moved forward bravely and God used him as he went.
Vision is certainly one of the greatest challenges to leadership. In many ways leaders are called to stare into the void where nothing seems possible and find a path forward. Already this is a terrific blessing for our world, because it allows for innovation and success. But God wants to do something even more with vision. He wants His leaders to accomplish His will and to work His plan. St. Paul teaches us just how to cooperate with God to make this happen.
Christian leadership like anything else is an art and a science. Of course, there are many things we can do to increase our influence and to use it at the service of God. But foundationally there is something out of control in Christian leadership. Namely, the fact that God will use us as He desires. This requires that we learn a secret, the secret St. Paul knew so well and that he tells us about in 2 Corinthians 12. I’d like to help you learn that secret today.
When we follow Jesus in our daily life we are faced with many challenges. Rising up to meet those challenges in accordance with his grace means that we will be making an impact changing the world around us. Instead of letting the world take its own course we are leading it in His name. Rising up to meet these challenges gives us a great opportunity to depend more on Jesus. This is something St. Paul definitely understood and embodied in his life. This is Part 2 in our series “In The Pattern Of Paul – Insights Into Leadership”.
The life of St. Paul provides Christians with a wonderful example of what it means to lead in Jesus Christ. In fact St. Paul had to face many of the same challenges we do. In my book, Coached by Paul the Apostle, I try to lay out many of these insights into leadership and in this series of podcasts I try and develop those insights in greater depth starting with this particular session where I develop the link between authority and freedom. This follows Chapter 1 of my book.
As we bring this series of letters from St. Francis to a close I thought it fitting to finish with some letters in which the Saint references his own soul. What were the spiritual lessons that he himself learned on his journey as a Christian engaged in the affairs of the world? By looking at the themes that he evokes in letters about himself we can find lessons that we can apply to ourselves in our situations as leaders today. We can learn from him something of the love of God.
One thing a Christian leader can be sure of is that they will be asked to carry the cross with Jesus. But carrying a cross isn’t easy for anybody and few of us embrace it as we should. St. Francis de Sales, and early master of the 1600’s, knew this very well and he wrote to the leaders of this world with encouragement to carry the cross that God gave them with Jesus. But what does this mean for us today? By reading letters that he wrote to persons of the world we can discover some of what he meant.
The letters written by St. Francis de Sales to persons in the world represent wonderful examples of the application of true spirituality to those living amidst the cares of this world. All of us who carry the mantle of leadership in our families or in our businesses have to find ways to keep our spirituality alive and at the same time deal with the constant pressing needs around us. In this third segment of our series we pass on the advice of St. Francis: Love purifies all things.
In his letter to Persons In The World, St. Francis de Sales writes admirable advice for those whose vocation it is to live in the world but not be of it. For some Christians involving ourselves in the world is a distraction and others disparage the vocation of business as a temptation that could threaten one’s salvation. But it was not so for St. Francis de Sales. On the contrary, he encourages those who are called to engage in the world but gives them great advice about avoiding vanity and ambition.
St. Francis de Sales was the Bishop of Geneva in the early 1600’s. He wrote many wonderful texts of spirituality and is considered a Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church. He also wrote many letters, especially to people who were in the world, that is, lay faithful who were entrusted with the charges of family, business, and politics. These letters are treasures of wisdom and spirituality, and we begin the first of our series with a letter on inner peace.
Let’s face it, most of our thoughts about leadership position leaders as folks on the top. People who have pushed the envelope and have succeeded against great odds. Is there anything to say for those who have not gone to the top? People who for one reason or another are in second place. In the life of John the Baptist we can’t help noticing that Jesus did not call him to be an Apostle. In fact, He let him die as a martyr in prison without ever publicly following him. What’s the place for leadership that’s both humble and deep?
Anyone who leads in today’s world knows how important it is to stay in the middle. After all if we want to have impact in our world we have to belong to it. And yet are there times when witness is necessary? Or at least an invitation to go deeper than our customary ways? In the life of St. John the Baptist we have the example of someone who was extraordinarily successful in his leadership and then put it all on the line to bear witness to the truth. In this episode we let him inspire us.
The life of St. John the Baptist is a study in detachment. From forsaking the goods of this earth and the relationships of natural human society to going without in his many forms of asceticism to finally letting go to his own claim to glory and his own claim to his disciples. St. John the Baptist was poor in spirit. And yet his influence was extremely powerful. What is the connection between his poverty of heart and the incredible influence that he gave as a Christian leader?
Leadership puts us in the spotlight. Like it or not, leaders are out in front. If we follow the ways of the world, the natural prominence of leadership can result in negative consequences like arrogance and self conceit. It was just the opposite, however, for St. John the Baptist. He used his prominence to promote Christ and he learned how to make himself disappear behind the glory of the one who came after him. This is Part 4 of our series on The Bold Leadership of John the Baptist.
Most of us know the figure of John the Baptist but not all of us our familiar with his actual message. At the heart of John the Baptist’s proclamation was the phrase “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” What does it mean to repent and how is this essential to our leadership today? In this third part of our series on the bold leadership of John the Baptist, we explore the meaning and significance of his proclamation and show how it impacts us even today.
Like it or not being in a position of leadership means being at the forefront of change. In many ways this can be intimidating, but if we look at it from a point of view of faith and a call from God the prospects given to us by leadership are exhilarating. We can stand for and do amazing things, things that other people only dream of doing. In many ways being a leader calls on us to be like John the Baptist – a prophet, standing in the wilderness, making a bold proclamation, and allowing our own voices to echo the Word.
Amongst all the history of great leaders inspired by faith surely St. John the Baptist is at the top of the list. Not only was his life recorded in sacred scripture as an example to us all but his leadership provides an amazing model for all of us who seek to serve God by the power and influence He has given us. In this first of our series treating the bold leadership of John the Baptist we look at his life and background and begin to understand the significance of his powerful preaching.
Prayer is to the soul what breathing is to the body, therefore, prayer is essential to everybody. But even more so to those who will lead, who play a position that comes to them from God in our world. Without a doubt each of us has their own way to pray and express their hearts to God, but the Catholic tradition holds many devotions which can help us to find discipline and regularity in our prayer. One of these is the Breastplate of St. Patrick. – an excellent prayer to say at the beginning of each workday.
At its essence leadership is a question of vision and vision at its heart is a matter of creativity. Although not always comfortable being in charge of an operations means finding an answer no matter what. Great leaders do this in extraordinary ways. But getting to the heart of how to innovate and find new answers means getting to the heart of the human person and their freedom and this is why it’s important to talk about the power of grace to create new ideas and innovation. This is part 4 of our series on Leaders In A Broken World.
Accepting to lead in the footsteps of Christ means extending the power of His salvific redemption into our world through our work. In brief this means bringing healing bringing peace and doing good in a world that needs it. Seeing our work in this light makes our occupations a mission and makes our duties and instrument of God’s peace. One way we do that is by helping the people around us to grow and develop. Today is our third in our series, “Leaders In A Broken World.”
Leadership is not done in a vacuum. In fact the cultural situation we find ourselves in often influences the decisions we have to make. This is why it is so important for Christian leaders to always remember the importance of their role as leaders in a world that is marked by sin. In today’s episode, the second of our series of Leaders In A Broken World we develop the importance of Christian leadership for providing true unity and creating true harmony for the betterment of all.
Trying to improve our leadership requires a lot from us. It requires study and thought and development of our skills. But sometimes in the midst of all that we can forget why we’re called to lead in the first place. What’s God’s plan for our leadership? Why would he call us to do what we’re doing anyway? Certainly there are many great answers to these questions but none strike as profoundly as seeing our work as an extension of the work of Christ himself; an extension of the power of the cross, an extension of salvation for a broke world.
When we are in a position of leadership law can sometimes seem cumbersome. And as Christian leaders we’ve developed our sense of autonomy and freedom and love to the point where many of us wonder why do we need rules in the church at all? Sometimes it can be tempting to say, “those in charge make the rules” and that’s why the life of our Lord can be disconcerting. Because he followed the law. In this final part of our examination of Aquinas’ teaching on the life of our Lord, we draw valuable insights from the example of Christ for our lives as leaders today.
The Christian tradition has always recommended that a minister of the gospel live a life of material simplicity. Such a life would guarantee the virtues necessary for proclaiming the gospel in purity. But what does the Church have to say for those engaged in the public sphere of commerce? If a business leader tries to evangelize with their business or in the context of their leadership are they obliged to embrace poverty? What role does poverty play in the life of a non ordained Christian leader today? Let’s continue our study and find out.
When we assume a role of leadership we set ourselves apart from the people that we lead. By definition the leader is at the top or first in line. And leaders in general play positions in society where power is a part of their lives. But what do we do as Christians? Shouldn’t we be the same as every other Christian? And what if our position of leadership brings us a little too close to the world and its way of thinking and acting? What did our Lord do? How did He live?
All of us know that leadership is a demanding thing. Physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Anyone who stands in front of the crowd and points the right direction will take a beating. And yet strangely this is exactly what God asks us to do. Maybe it’s for this reason that our Lord himself took times to rest. In this second part of our series on Leadership Lessons From the Summa, St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us the three different ways that Jesus rested.
Without a doubt leadership requires us to engage other people. Whether it be in networking for new partnerships or interviewing new employees, we live an active life. For many Christians this is problematic. We can sometimes feel that being a leader and being active means that we can’t be as contemplative and prayerful as we should be. In this lesson of leadership coming from St. Thomas Aquinas I lead you in a study of his treatise on the life of Christ to glean insights there.
Few saints exemplify the power of Catholic leadership more than a simple Italian nun named St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Although plagued with bad health and many restrictions in her life she found a way to be incredibly productive founding schools, orphanages, and hospitals on four continents. She teaches us to overcome whatever lies in our way as we pursue God’s will – sharing with us her personal motto, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”
Regardless of our positions and responsibilities communication is always a challenge. How did the saints communicate when they needed to? In today’s episode on Leadership Lessons From The Saints, I look at St. Patrick. Not only did he manage to communicate foreign ideas to his audience, but he did so in a way that was persuasive. He managed to do something with his communication that all of us leaders need to do. He communicated facts in a way that moved and promoted action. So, his leadership lesson from 1600 years ago remains true today.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “People will not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It’s a fact that leadership is something that followers bequeath to the one that leads them. Meaning that we who lead in the footsteps of Christ have to gain the trust of those whom we are leading. Few saints embody this better than St. Joan of Arc. She literally lead troops into battle. Because they believed in her – believed in her vision and saw her courage. She led from the heart and her leadership serves as an example for us today.
Anyone charged with leadership has to constantly confront difficulty. In fact any leader will tell you that problems are their playing field. But confronting difficulty and challenge is not always easy. It takes courage and bravery. Pope Leo the Great, the Bishop of Rome from 440 AD to 461 AD, gives us an example of tremendous courage in the face of controversy. The example he gives in his day can strengthen us to do the challenges in front of us each day in the office and in the family.
Leading with daring might sound glorious but in practice it’s actually difficult to define. How do we know when our daring is not rationale? And where can we look to find the surety that we need to dare great thing for Christ? In this fourth Leadership Lessons From The Saints we take a look at some of the comments by Jose Maria Escrivá. Not only did St. Jose Maria dare something great for Christ but he described it as a virtue and a necessary component to anything that would call itself Christian leadership.
Of the many saints we could hope to emulate, Pope John Paul II stands apart for his excellence in leadership. Not only was he Pope of the Catholic Church at a very difficult time in church and world history but his twenty-six year long pontificate was marked by incredible achievements, changes, and unique global impact. In this third of our series on Leadership Lessons From The Saints we unpack several lessons from the life and teachings of this master of humanity.
Of the many excellent texts on leadership in the Catholic Church’s tradition The Rule of Saint Benedict surely holds a pride of place. Written around 530 AD by St. Benedict of Nursia this text provided the foundation for the way of life of his monks. A way of life that shaped many of our traditions in Western Civilization. This is why his take on leadership is so important. And he provides us with a valuable lesson in our ongoing series on the lessons of leadership from the saints.
It might surprise many of us to remember that the saints themselves were oftentimes leaders and as such had to shoulder the heavy burden of leadership just like we do. It can be helpful to learn from them; what did they do, how did they handle the daily stresses of life? In this first class of Leadership Lessons From The Saints I look at John XXIII’s ten rules for a day – rules that he practiced every day and which certainly could help us as well.
Like anything stepping into leadership requires training. Stepping into Christian leadership requires that we not just be skilled but also ethical and holy. How to integrate these two worlds? How to integrate our spirituality, our faith, and the realism of the world of business? The Church’s Magisterium put forth a wonderful document that outlines a way forward. By educating Christians in the principles of Christ, and in the use of the virtues, she points forward a way for us to not only do business but to lead.
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Without a doubt something that all leaders have in common is that we are men and women of action. Practically oriented, skilled in social settings, leaders tend to rise to the top because they engage their talents in their situations to make a difference. They are men and women of action. Does the Christian faith have room for them and do they have room in their hearts for Christianity? What about contemplation, receptivity, submission to God? In this second part of our series on applying the gospel we explore these actions and more.
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It’s an amazing fact that we spend nearly half of our waking life at work. The relationships we form there are real, intense, and impact our overall vision of life. For the Christian this represents a real challenge. How can I live the relationships I have at work or in my social setting in a way that glorifies God and helps others to know him better? In this first of our series on Applying The Gospel we analyze the Catholic Church’s insistence that whatever we do serves to make communities of persons.
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Whatever format it’s found in, teamwork has always played an essential role in getting anything done. It’s so important in fact that much of contemporary literature around leadership focuses on a leader’s ability to generate and maintain healthy teams. But isn’t the notion of a team something that is essential to the Christian religion? And if so shouldn’t Christianity offer a special advantage to a Christian leader? In this tenth episode of our series on the Christian advantage in leadership I take a look at this question.
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Most Christians charged with positions of leadership tend to separate what they have to do every day in a practical sphere from there growth as Christians. Spirituality and practicality are often looked at as opposites. When this happens though, two things occur: firstly, the world of practicality is left bereft of spiritual guidance and, simultaneously, our spirituality loses the strength that comes from our practical endeavors. By uniting the two the Christian has the advantage.
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The theme of putting your people first is popular today in leadership theory. Many studies are done and cited that conclusively show that focusing on company culture affects the bottom line in a positive way. But focusing on people and developing people has not always been the hallmark of western capitalism. In fact many of the advances towards more humane work come from Christianity. Why is this? And how can harnessing it give us an advantage?
When it comes to leadership what we do on the outside flows from what we have on the inside. Our thoughts and our motivations drive the actions which determine our success. Here Christians have a distinct advantage. Ever since Christ rose from the dead Christians know the truth about our final victory over evil and therefore our daily victory over problems. In this seventh of our series on the Christian leadership advantage we explore the Christian power of positivity.
The Catholic church has always taught that work was genuinely a human activity. Meaning that it was something that we did that made our lives better. But with the increase of technology, social media, and the changing demographics of the work force, work itself seems to be a different kind of experience. Nevertheless, the truth about work hasn’t changed. And God’s vision for work laid out in the Bible remains the same. This is a Christian advantage. By letting the truth of our faith inform our leadership Christians protect and enhance the working environment for all involved.
In trying to understand the advantage that the Christian faith gives to us in our leadership, there’s no more powerful place to look than our perspective on heaven. Afterall, eternal life is the backdrop behind everything a Christian does, the ultimate goal of all our motivations. But what practical difference does this make in the perspective that we take at work. Well, in fact, it makes a big difference if we let it. In this fifth part of our series on The Christian Leader’s Advantage we explore the power of the idea of heaven.
In some ways all leadership is the same. Individuals have to move groups of people to accomplish things in unity. What then is the Christian difference and what does a religion of love have to do with leadership? In this fourth part of our series on The Christian Leaders Advantage, we explore the difference that love makes in leadership. Not only does it speak to the emotions of all involved, but it allows leaders to penetrate more deeply into what really motivates people to be their best. And being the best of all things, why wouldn’t love make us the best of all leaders.
How does the approach a Catholic takes towards leadership differ from the approach anyone else takes? Does our faith in Christ make us better leaders? In this third part on our series “The Christian Leader’s Advantage”, I examine the fact that Christians believe in eternal life, and I examine the practical ramifications that this belief has on our ability to lead others well. Afterall, if Jesus Christ called us to lead and he called us to be Christians it’s because our Christianity has something wonderful to do with our leadership. And I’d like to show you how.
When it comes to leading others, Christians out to have a distinct advantage. After all Christians who lead believe that they are leading in the hand of God and following his lead. But what does this advantage actually look like? One spot where we can see it particularly is in our belief that our sins can be forgiven. How does our claim about the forgiveness of sins impact the world of work? In this second on our series on the Christian advantage I want to explore the power of mercy to transform our vision of leadership.
Christians have long professed that we are at the same time like everyone else and different. We’re the same because we are human just like anyone else but we’re different because we have received the grace of Christ. Well if this is true then our leadership will also be the same and different. Our leadership will have to follow the same laws as everyone else and the same structure but we should also be leading with the grace of Christ. I wanted to find out what this meant and share a short course with you. A series of talks on this subject to help you appreciate the Christian advantage.
So far in this series on the four anchors we’ve looked at how God is the secret to human success. How this is expressed firstly by the family being anchored by God and how it’s extended by our work being anchored in our family. In this next conference I take a look at how our culture stands to benefit by being firmly anchored in our work and the key role that Catholic business leaders play in transforming the culture by bringing the values of the Gospel through their families and through their workplace into the heart of society.
Whether we like it or not all of us have to work every day. So what’s the secret to working with satisfaction and fulfillment? In this third segment in our series on the Four Anchors I explore what work could look like when it is anchored soundly in our identity as who we are. And in particular I take a look at how that identity of who we are is given to us in a profound way by our family. Just as our family can be anchored in God our work can be anchored in our family and the values that they give us.
Faith and family values just seem to go together but why is this so and what happens to our family values if we separate them from faith? Many young families today are doing just that trying to see if we can maintain a family without necessarily linking it back to God. On the other hand the Catholic church consistently teaches us that God is the key to family unity and to family greatness. But what does this mean? In this second part of our series on The Four Anchors we explore the real blessings that faith represents for our families.
As we try to navigate our way as Catholics in a modern world many of us wonder what the recipe is for true success. Everyone wants a happy world and a healthy country but many people aren’t very clear about what role the Church or God has to play in giving us those. In fact, however, there is a very clear recipe. And I like to call it the four anchors. In this five part series I am going to walk you through those four anchors and give you practical tips on how to implement them yourself.
Most people want to see some positive change in our culture. But many people struggle to know exactly what this should look like. Are we struggling just for struggle’s sake or is there an end goal that we are supposed to be striving towards? In this last part in my series on cultural leadership I wanted to give you the big picture. Looking at Matthew 25 where we can understand why Jesus wants us to impact culture. Namely, as an act of love for him.
All of us want to make a difference for Christ in our culture today. But most of us don’t know where to begin. A wide variety of issues competes for our attention. One thing the Catholic church has consistently argued is that the family is the root of society. As the family goes so the world will go. Maybe this is why for the Catholic church so much attention is spent on developing family ties. Why is this so, however? And what importance should we give the family in our own efforts to transform the culture for Christ today?
Most Christians today recognize the importance of engaging our culture with the Gospel. Changes are afoot that would radically alter the way that we raise our families and understand our fundamental freedoms. This sense of urgency has led many to find the most effective ways to impact the culture. How do we transform a culture before it transforms us? One of the most overlooked methods, however, is the simplest: the direct encounter we can have with the people around us. If cultural leadership were football, this would be the ground game, and this is the method our Lord, Himself, showed us.
By now any Christian who follows events in the world knows how important it is for us to act. The news headlines are filled with reports of things that are happening and calls for us to get involved. On the other hand Christians are equally convinced that we need to pray. Prayer is a part of our spiritual tradition and something our Savior commanded us to do. Is there a connection between the two? Is there really a value to prayer when so much of our brain space is taken up by issues, and confrontations, and worry about the future. I think there is and I want to make a case for it.
So much of what makes a leader successful comes from their ability to take people where they need to go. If we don’t have vision then we really are the blind leading the blind. But oddly enough when it comes to shaping our culture it seems that many people don’t know what we should be aiming at. The world will indicate many different values as its’ arbiter of success, but what does Jesus ask for from us? What does our Lord ask for from a follower of His in the culture in which we live? How do we aim at the right things?
Today it’s fashionable to separate the Church from society. We claim that the legitimate separation of Church from state means that the state should proceed without any influence from the Church. The Church, however, has a different opinion. How are we to evaluate of the Catholic Church’s contribution to our society? What impact can the world really expect from the Christian message? What’s the value of the culture that we’re proposing? All these question are central to the discussion about how Jesus raises us up to lead our culture today.
There are many people who speak about the need for cultural leadership. The issues and values of our society today are constantly under discussion. But most of this discussion seems to be from the outside. A competition of competing visions and views that clash and sometimes divide. Is there another way to have this discussion? How would Jesus Christ have his followers lead the battle to shape a culture in His image? In this first of our series we look at what culture is and try to understand the Christians role in shaping it.
We’ve journeyed together through the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas about making decisions. We’ve learned about discernment, about counsel, about timing and about so much else. And now is the time to act. In this final segment on our series on making winning decisions with St. Thomas Aquinas, I want to look with you on the theology of the imperium or the command that our mind tells our will to make - getting over the hurdle of constantly wondering whether or not we should something and crossing the threshold of success.
Anyone who wants to be successful in leadership needs to be really good at working with people. The more a leader understands human behavior the more effectively they’ll deal with it and reach the goals of their organization and their mission. This is where St. Thomas Aquinas gives us a distinct advantage. He represents a wealth of knowledge coming from the Catholic tradition about how we work, how our hearts work, how we make decisions. And in this fifth part of our series we look at how he solves the problems of when people just don’t want to work.
Some do it more from a personal charisma than from a studied approach, but all leaders have to bring people with them towards the vision that they’re casting. And so that begs the question: “How can we who have to make decisions everyday make them in a way that other people will find attractive?” Well, reaching back into our Catholic theology we find this subject matter already treated by St. Thomas Aquinas. And in this fourth part of our series we explore it today.
All great leaders are capable of casting a vision. But casting a vision is not easy to do. To have a vision towards a goal means you want to have that goal. And sometimes are hearts are just afraid to stretch out into the unknown and into the unforeseen. The grace of God can help us to heal and to have the daring we need to want the things we don’t yet have. And when we do we become leaders of the heart. St. Thomas Aquinas helps us understand this process and how we can actualize it in our own lives as leaders today.
For many people, making decisions is one of the hardest things about leadership. And yet it is something that every leader has to do all the time. Loving and serving our God doesn’t take away our responsibility to make good choices and to engage them with all the energy that we have. But if it’s so important then why do we have such a hard time doing it? St. Thomas Aquinas offers keen insight into how decisions are made and how love can turn a decision into a choice.
Amongst the great minds of western civilization, St. Thomas Aquinas holds a very special place. As a Catholic priest he united the depths of our faith with the real practical situations that people face every day. He does this in an amazing way when it comes to making decisions. And for all of us in the working world, we know how important this skill set is. In this first of a series, I try to open the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas to help us learn an essential skill for our leadership. How to ask for advice?
We all know that leadership is about vision and passion but sometimes we forget that if no one is following us we’re not leading anyone. In truth the test of a good leader includes their ability to engender their spirit in their followers. And few people were better at this than St. Paul. In many of his writings, especially his letters to Titus and Timothy, we have a valuable lesson of how a Christian passes their inner fire to their followers. A lesson our Christian leaders can use today.
By all accounts St. Paul checks all the boxes when it comes to being an effective leader. But of all of his many wonderful qualities, the strength that dominates his personality without a doubt is his perseverance in the face of adversity. St. Paul is someone who finishes what he starts. But many of us struggle to do the same. Burn out is a real thing and persevering in the face of adversity sometimes just isn’t worth it. What’s the secret to Paul’s outstanding sense of grit and how can we imitate him today?
If anyone were to survey the general American public, two things would stand out. First we would all be convinced that things need to be done, actions need to take place, decisions need to be enacted. And secondly, most of us would agree that it is really hard to do what we know we need to do. Even if we know what needs to be done it can be a very difficult task to start what we know we need to do. It was no different for St. Paul. Yet he gives us the secret of allowing Christ to help us start doing what we know needs to be done.
Sometimes we imagine saints to be people who have life all figured out. They seem to know and execute on God’s plan perfectly and therefore it can be hard for us to try and imitate them. The life of St. Paul, however, shows us something very different. Many times he did not know what to do and yet he still made decisions. How did a saint as great as St. Paul make decisions about God’s will? How did St. Paul know what to do? By looking at the scriptures we can learn value lessons to help us in our leadership as well.
Have you ever felt like you were in a box? Like no matter what you chose in life there were already predetermined outcomes and there’s nothing you could do that could change it? Few things will kill the heart and ability of a leader more quickly than fatalism. An attitude that says it’s not even worth trying because you won’t make any difference. Funny thing is, we’re not the first people to face fatalism. We’re not the first people to face the boxes that life presents to us. True leaders find a way to become creative anyway and Christian leaders become creative with Christ. Let’s look at St. Paul as an example.
Anyone who takes the time to study the life of St. Paul can’t help but admire than man’s endurance, energy, and determination in the service of Jesus Christ. Indeed his life seems so spectacular and his exploits so amazing that many people feel they can never imitate him. But a closer reading of his writings reveals his secret: God’s strength was revealed in his weakness. How did St. Paul leverage his weakness to allow Christ to reveal His strength and what does that mean for us as we try to follow Christ as leaders today.
Many Christians today feel intimidated. The culture around us is shifting and ideas and notions foreign to the Bible are gaining a cultural foothold. Many today feel a sense of loss or hopelessness in front of the situations. But is today’s situation for a Christian that much different than the one that was confronted by the Apostles? Was the world of St. Paul that much different from today’s world? Where did St. Paul gain his strength? What allowed him to lead? In this new series we explore his soul and the source of his leadership in Christ.
Most people today have an appreciation for leadership, but many people still have the question as to what the difference is between a wordly leader and a Christian leader. Of course there is no better place to find an answer to this question than by asking Jesus Himself. In his parables Jesus reveals many keen insights into how He view leadership. In this third of our three part series we’ll finish our exploration of the parables and the insights they give as to what is a genuinely spiritual leadership.
The life of Christians is governed by the truth contained in scripture. And this is especially true for leadership which is why it is so important for us to study the parables of Jesus. In the parables we hear that leadership comes from God and also receive valuable lessons about what to avoid in order to not allow our leadership to become too worldly and what to do in order to make our leadership as spiritual as possible. The parables of Jesus are as timely today as they were when he first spoke them.
The Gospel gives us many ways that Jesus addresses his Word to the people. Amongst the most popular are parables. These little stories or comparisons help us to understand the deeper messages Jesus is trying to convey. But do they have anything to say to us who are trying to lead? In this first of a three part series, we begin to unpack some of Jesus’ parables to find the specific message they have for us. And we begin by understanding that God is calling us to lead.
What difference is there between a Christian leader and a non-Christian leader? Does being a Christian impact leadership? Understanding the ways that it does is vital for us who are called by Christ to lead in our world today. One place we can look to see what it means to lead as a Christian is the life of the Virgin Mary. In this final segment of our thirteen part course on Mary’s leadership, we take a deeper look at what it means for her to rule as Queen of Heaven and Earth.
All of us need models for leadership. Amongst the many candidates the Virgin Mary certainly merits our special attention. Even though she held no office, did not run a company, and did not have a rank in the military, the mother of Jesus is believed by Christians to be the Queen of Heaven and Earth. But what makes her leadership so special? In this twelfth of a thirteen part series on the Virgin Mary, I look at her Assumption body and soul into heaven as an indicator as to what is greatest in her leadership: the fact that it was totally focused on love.
Our culture today is at a turning point in many ways. In general, we are deciding whether or not to allow our Christian faith to continue to inform and direct our cultural decisions. It seems very tempting to go the route of secularism. A neutrality with respect to faith, at least in public, in order to let religion be a purely private affair. But is this the way for Christian leaders? What value does our faith have in the public sphere? Surprisingly, the life of the Virgin Mary can help us find the way.
Let’s face it, leading other people is never an easy proposition. There are some really dark moments. If we are honest with ourselves there are times when we would rather quit – stop leading, stop trying to influence others. Bad things can happen in our lives and moments when it makes us think if it is really worth it. This is where our Christian faith can be of especial value to us. Our Lord led us through the cross. And He has graced His cross to be the power and the strength of those who lead in His name. The Virgin Mary shows us this in her own life.
Christian leaders follow Christ – even though it seems contradictory to say leaders follow – this is what makes our leadership special. It’s not about us. It’s about Him and the influence He gives to the world through us. The Virgin Mary demonstrates this admirable in her own life. She is Christ’s perfect servant by doing everything that she can to make Him known and loved. We can see this throughout his apostolic life but especially at two key moments.
Sometimes even the best leaders can forget that in the end leadership isn’t about them. If we are leading our people, it’s to lead them to something bigger than ourselves and sometimes we have to die to ourselves in order to bring people to something that will really be good for them. At Cana in Galilee the Virgin Mary triggers a series of events that will lead to our Lord’s crucifixion and death. She hastens the hour of its coming even though that means that she will have to say goodbye sooner. She teaches us how to lead even when that means saying goodbye.
Leading others is not easy. Sometimes our road is marked by sorrow and hardship. The same was true in the life of the Virgin Mary. Her role as mother of the Son of God was marked with sorrow. In particular when she was forced to flee into Egypt, taking her son with her Mary had to carry the sorrow of the persecution and death of the Holy Innocents, the children in Bethlehem who were killed by the king. Mary had to play her role as mother with a broken heart but she led all the same.
Anyone moved by the love of God wants to Dare Great Things For Christ! But ironically most of our time is spent by doing little things. When we look at the life of the Virgin Mary, the Queen of Heaven and Earth, we see that much of her life was spent doing little things. Does this mean she wasn’t a leader? Or in fact is leadership not best expressed by the way that we do the small things? The life of Jesus and Mary in Nazareth before the beginning of his missionary life is an example of leadership in the little things.
One of the reasons many Christians don’t feel comfortable assuming the role of leadership is that we think it makes us egotistical. Following, obeying, complying, and supporting seem much more consonant with Christianity. But why do so many of us equate those terms with a lack of leadership? By looking at the Virgin Mary as a model for leadership, we can see that a big part of being a leader is following God. Mary gave the very best of herself to Jesus and so she becomes the leadership model for all the followers of Christ.
Many gifted people struggle with the temptation to draw all the attention to themselves. The allure of leadership is that it puts us in positions of power and therefore esteem in the eyes of others. A leader who is Christian needs to resist this of course and dedicate themselves to really enhancing the lives of others around them as a servant. In this fourth of our thirteen part series on Mary, we look at how she lived as a servant leader as she visited her cousin, Elizabeth, in the hill country of Judea.
Something special about every act of leadership is that it makes us alone. The famous phrase, “it is lonely at the top” applies well to leader in every state. But is this just an accident? Or is it in fact a blessing? When Mary was chosen by God to be the Mother of God, she had to fill the task no one else could fill. But she embraced it as being chosen by God and therefore holding His hand into the great unknown that he would lead her. And so she becomes an example for Christian leaders in every age.
If we look to sacred scripture for examples of great leadership many names come to mind: St. Paul, St. Timothy, St. John, but what about the Virgin Mary? Doesn’t her life have anything to teach us about leadership? Independently of the various faith traditions out there what can we learn about leadership by looking at the life the bible presents us? I think we can learn a lot. In this second of a thirteen part series I want to peer into the leadership lessons of Mary’s early life and the solitude that made her strong.
Applying our Catholic faith to the demands of leadership today is a demanding and sometimes harrowing experience. We look around to see if someone has done it before - where our models could be found - and when we look for models we need look no further than the Virgin Mary to find the very best of them all. This could be surprising. What does Mary have to do with our modern situation? Our new twelve-part series will try to answer that very question. And so we begin by looking at the Virgin Mary as the inspiring figure that she is.
How did Jesus Christ form his apostles to be bold proclaimers of His word? One way was by sending them where they thought they could never go – into the darkness and into fearful places armed with nothing more than his word and the powers of His priesthood. And yet they were not alone. In fact he promised that he would be with them always. Doesn’t he do the same with us today? In this final segment of our ten part series we look at the way he formed his apostles to understand how he trains us for leadership today.
There’s a lot written about leadership today and one of the most popular themes is the question of how to motivate people to follow. It seems like pretty much everyone agrees that people like to follow winners. That doesn’t surprise me considering the fact that our Lord himself gave that lesson to his apostles. He is the ultimate victor and he sends his apostles forth to proclaim His victory. What does that mean for us practically today in our businesses and in our families? How can we make Christ’s victory present for the people we lead?
Being afraid is a normal response in front of things that are threatening to us. The problem is not that we have fear – the question is whether or not we’ll allow that fear to become a catalyst for something greater, for courage, or whether we will allow fear to paralyze us. When Christ formed his apostles he taught them to stare down there fears and he did this by facing everything before them. Christ led his leaders through the valleys that they would have to face themselves and he does so for us today as well.
It's lonely at the top. How many times have we made that statement about our own situation as a leader or had other people remind us about that truth? It almost makes us ask the question about whether Jesus ever felt lonely and it begs the question as to how he prepared his apostles for the solitude that would be a part of their life as a leader of the church. When we look back at hos Christ prepared the apostles, he showed them what to do with loneliness. He taught them to transform it into the seabed of communion.
There are many philosophies about leadership out there and some of them hold that failure is not an option. Many leaders in fact are afraid of making mistakes. However, when Jesus Christ formed his disciples to be apostles to the nations, to be bold proclaimers of his word, he welcomed their mistakes. The gospels famously recount many of the mistakes the apostles made while they were with Christ. What lesson does this teach us for our own lives? What is God trying to teach us by our mistakes? This is part six of our ten part series on how Christ made his leaders bold.
Anyone who has achieved any level of success in their life knows that much of their success is a result of hard work. And yet at the same time hard work is hard to do. Many people don’t see the importance of hard work in forming the character of a leader and yet when Christ formed his twelve apostles he shared the labors of evangelization with them. And he invited his apostles to embrace labor as a part of their life. How did this help form his apostles to be the bold leaders they would need to be and what role does hard work play in our life as leaders today.
It goes without saying that our culture today is facing a crisis of truth. Ideas and customs we once held dear are being questioned and our young people seem to be bereft of sure guides for what life is all about. But was it that much different at the time of Christ? And how did Jesus respond to the difficulty of the people of his day to embrace truth? When Jesus formed his twelve apostles he formed them as apostles of truth and sent them to teach the nations in his name. What impact does that have for us as leaders today?
Following the way of the Lord obviously is the right thing to do. It’s a good thing and should make us happy. Why then is it so often marked by difficulty? Why wouldn’t God make our path an easy one? If we go to the New Testament we see that actually it never was easy and when our Lord was forming his disciples to be bold proclaimers of his Word he formed them through challenge and difficulty. Learning how he did it with them then can make us better leaders now.
When it comes to making leaders nobody does it better than God himself. Studying what scripture tells us about how Jesus himself trained leaders is the ultimate pattern for how we can advance in leadership today. In this ten part series I want to study the elements that are essential to this leadership formation. Prominent amongst those many features is the fact that Jesus formed his apostles to live in a community. A veritable band of brothers. This was no accident but has great fruits for them and for us today.
When it comes to learning how to lead no one can teach us better than Christ. And for Christians who are trying to lead their world Christ is the ultimate and best reference point. So how did he do it? When he had his disciples to form in order to make them the leaders that he wanted them to be – how did he approach it? In this first of a ten part series we try to answer those questions. And let Jesus speak and form us as leaders today. Christian leadership is the way of every disciple – then and now.
A leader could have the best strategy in the world but if he’s unable to make a choice on how to implement it his strategy will be meaningless. And yet is precisely here that many of us struggle. Making a choice seems irrevocable and sometimes choosing one way in preference to another seems like closing the door on perfectly good opportunities. But then again not choosing is also a choice and it’s a choice that won’t bring us to where we need to go. How does our faith in God help us with this dilemma? How does it help us to be leaders who decide?
In the Gospel our Lord tells us to be as cunning as serpents and as simple as doves. What does it mean to be cunning as a serpent and how could our Lord possibly want us to be cunning? Anyone involved in leadership knows that leaders need to be strategic. They need to think ahead of the curve and find a plan for achieving the great things that they set out to do. Could this be what Christ meant? How do Christians live and thinks strategically at the service of their love?
The ability to cast an effective vision is much more than coming up with great ideas. Ideas require planning in order to be effective and planning requires choice and focus. But as we all know our choice and focus can sometimes be wrong. That’s because strategy itself depends upon our awareness. Being alert, being aware, and being attentive is the secret for making great plans. Let’s take a look at how this dovetails with our faith to help us lead everywhere in our lives.
One of the most important aspects to any leadership is your ability to have ideas. Casting a vision and showing where we want to go is essential to have anyone follow us. But what is the difference between having ideas and having good ideas? What makes a potential idea or a future vision something that is captivating and true? Our Christian faith helps us here – God will help us to be temperate, to not be afraid to prioritize, and to be open to the great things he wants to do through us.
The easiest way to get lost in doing anything is to not know what you are trying to do to begin with. Anytime we’re called to lead a project of any kind, our leadership begins with vision. But what if we can’t find a vision? Is there something deeper at the root of being able to cast a vision going forward? There is – we call it the power to dream. Dream is the power within a leader to reach forward to something which you do not yet possess and its roots lay in healing our ability to desire things.
All great leaders dare to dream but what do you do when the dreams have gone dry? Where does our power to come up with great ideas or great initiatives come from? In the Christian view of leadership, it comes from deep within our hearts made in the image and likeness of God. Which is why the redeeming power of Christ to heal us and our sense of ourselves is the key to unlocking our desire to dare great things for Christ. Journey with us as we explore self-acceptance and its power to change our lives.
There are a plethora of books and articles written about leadership today. But most of them focus on leadership as if it were an individual enterprise – almost like something the leader does in a vacuum. In fact, however, leadership requires leading others which means our relationship with others and ability to get them to join our cause is at the heart of what we’re doing. Does our faith in Christ give us an advantage here? How does a Christian leader form a team and motivate them to give the very best of themselves.
The key that determines the success of every great endeavor is whether or not we actually do it. Planning, scheming, dreaming, all of these things are fine but in the final analysis only doing a deed will get the deed done. But getting things done is hard. Things can arise that we did not plan energy can wane situations can change. It’s a good thing that God is on our side and leading out of a place of faith helps you to bend and not break.
They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The same could be said about the road to failure. The difference between success and failure is often the ability to try. But this is exactly what is difficult for many of us. We can have the greatest intentions and the most noble aspirations but passing into action seems to be on of the hardest things to do. Does faith offer us any remedy? Does grace give us any advantage in taking the plunge of leadership?
All of us want to be influential in our lives. We want to be successful parents, great business leaders, powerful leaders in our community and we know that all of our influence flows from our actions and all of our actions flow from our intentions and desires. But intentions are not good enough. Great leaders know how to build on good intentions and make effective plans to really hit the mark. Our Catholic faith shows us this in many ways and our faith can provide a priceless tool as we fight for vision.
All of us want to be influential in our lives. We want to be successful parents, great business leaders, powerful leaders in our community and we know that all of our influence flows from our actions and all of our actions flow from our intentions and desires. But intentions are not good enough. Great leaders know how to build on good intentions and make effective plans to really hit the mark. Our Catholic faith shows us this in many ways and our faith can provide a priceless tool as we fight for vision.
It seems self evident to say that all leadership begins with vision but that begs the question, “where does vision begin?” For many people finding a vision is a very difficult thing to do. In the face of so many problems and challenges how can we come up with good solutions. The truth be told God has a lot to do with healing our ability to dream. His grace in us repairs the fundamental structure of leadership by allowing us to recapture our ability to cast a vision.
Leadership has many definitions but all of them have one thing in common: people have to follow. Regardless of how good your idea is or how passionate you are about it, if you can’t bring other people along with you, you will not be able to lead successfully. But effectively sharing your vision and your passion is more than just a natural talent. It’s a skill that can be studied and harnessed. And what is more, it is an especial gift that Christ gives to the world through his Christian leaders.
Everybody who is successful knows that great ideas are only the beginning. You need a strategic plan, you need helpers along the journey, and you need the staying power of pure determination. Does our faith have anything to do with this? Does being a Christian give an advantage to leaders? Or is there any overlap between the faith and the demands of our practical life? We believe that there is and one of the best places to see it is in the beauty of grit.
Getting things done. How do I pass from ability to action? I may know what is right, I may know what I need to do, but actually doing it is a whole other thing. What’s more, sometimes the risks involved of actually doing something and putting my name to paper are quite daunting. What if I’m wrong? Can I afford to pay the consequences for my choices? Many people prefer to simply hide. How can my faith in God help me to pass from potential into action and make the difference I really want to make?
Getting things done. How do I pass from ability to action? I may know what is right, I may know what I need to do, but actually doing it is a whole other thing. What’s more, sometimes the risks involved of actually doing something and putting my name to paper are quite daunting. What if I’m wrong? Can I afford to pay the consequences for my choices? Many people prefer to simply hide. How can my faith in God help me to pass from potential into action and make the difference I really want to make?
One of the hardest parts about leading is making choices. It seems that if you choose one thing, you can’t have another. And the perspective of missing out on something can make us afraid. How can we be sure that what we chose is really the best way? Would life be easier if we didn’t have to make those decisions at all? I find it fascinating that God forces us to make decisions. It’s almost like God isn’t afraid of making us choose. How can we as leaders make the best decisions? What’s the secret to choosing well?
One of the hardest parts about leading is making choices. It seems that if you choose one thing, you can’t have another. And the perspective of missing out on something can make us afraid. How can we be sure that what we chose is really the best way? Would life be easier if we didn’t have to make those decisions at all? I find it fascinating that God forces us to make decisions. It’s almost like God isn’t afraid of making us choose. How can we as leaders make the best decisions? What’s the secret to choosing well?
When it comes to leadership, so much can be said and so much has been said but sometimes it can be a little confusing. What exactly is meant by leadership? What is not leadership? What comes first and defines the rest? In the approach we take at the Saint John Leadership Network, leadership begins with what we call aspiration. Profoundly put, this means the ability we have to dream. In today’s course we examine where dreams come from and how to recover its power in our lives.
When it comes to leadership, so much can be said and so much has been said but sometimes it can be a little confusing. What exactly is meant by leadership? What is not leadership? What comes first and defines the rest? In the approach we take at the Saint John Leadership Network, leadership begins with what we call aspiration. Profoundly put, this means the ability we have to dream. In today’s course we examine where dreams come from and how to recover its power in our lives.
Last week Dare Great Things passed a milestone. We issued our two hundred and first episode. Our past episodes have been an amazing journey through stories and documents and lives of the saints that have inspired us. I’m really excited to be able to start something new now. Starting with Episode 202 we will begin to present the Saint John Leadership Network’s own proper teaching about leadership. We call it AUDEO and I am honored to share it with you. In today’s episode I give an overview of this unique Catholic take on leadership.
Last week Dare Great Things passed a milestone. We issued our two hundred and first episode. Our past episodes have been an amazing journey through stories and documents and lives of the saints that have inspired us. I’m really excited to be able to start something new now. Starting with Episode 202 we will begin to present the Saint John Leadership Network’s own proper teaching about leadership. We call it AUDEO and I am honored to share it with you. In today’s episode I give an overview of this unique Catholic take on leadership.
In his encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII makes an astounding claim. He claims that the involvement of religion in the affairs of the state and the economy is necessary as a means to regulate and perfect the potentials of the same. The same can be applies to each one of us in our workplaces where we lead. Understanding how our faith impacts the well running of our offices can help us be convinced of the power of our faith in our business.
In his encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII makes an astounding claim. He claims that the involvement of religion in the affairs of the state and the economy is necessary as a means to regulate and perfect the potentials of the same. The same can be applies to each one of us in our workplaces where we lead. Understanding how our faith impacts the well running of our offices can help us be convinced of the power of our faith in our business.
It has been said that human society can be divided into those who have and those who have not. For many this opposition is the source of a lot of contention and fighting. But does it have to be this way? In his encyclical, “Rerum Novarum”, Pope Leo XIII uses this very question as an opportunity to present an attractive proposition of the Gospel. In fact, Christians need to fill the space of possessions, talents, needs, and wants with Jesus Christ. This is the role of the Catholic leader.
It has been said that human society can be divided into those who have and those who have not. For many this opposition is the source of a lot of contention and fighting. But does it have to be this way? In his encyclical, “Rerum Novarum”, Pope Leo XIII uses this very question as an opportunity to present an attractive proposition of the Gospel. In fact, Christians need to fill the space of possessions, talents, needs, and wants with Jesus Christ. This is the role of the Catholic leader.
Let’s face it, work is hard, and a lot of people would prefer not to work if they didn’t have to. What would a world look like where people no longer worked? People no longer owned things? Wouldn’t it be better or in fact could it be really worse? Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical Rerum Novarum explores this asking the question about the link between work and dignity. It becomes a practical question for each one of us.
Let’s face it, work is hard, and a lot of people would prefer not to work if they didn’t have to. What would a world look like where people no longer worked? People no longer owned things? Wouldn’t it be better or in fact could it be really worse? Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical Rerum Novarum explores this asking the question about the link between work and dignity. It becomes a practical question for each one of us.
It’s common place to hear people say that things are happening today that have never happened before and that social tensions today are unique. However true that statement might be it needs to be grounded in history. In point of fact, the political tensions, the social tensions we suffer from today have roots as far back as the industrial era. Encyclical “Rerum Novarum” by Pope Leo XIII addressed many of these tensions and by studying them we can gain jewels of wisdom for our approach today.
It has been said that success is more difficult to handle than failure. For those of us striving for success this can be hard to hear. How can I be successful with success and why do worldly honors trip up more people than difficulty and challenge? St. Thomas Aquinas tackles this question when he treats the virtue of magnanimity. How can Christians really strive after greatness and stay humble? This is the secret of the virtues and the secret that St. Thomas teaches about in his Summa Theologica.
The topic of leadership is not always popular among Christians. In particular because many Christians see leadership as the antithesis to humility. Afterall, how are you supposed to remain humble while deploying all of your gifts in the sight of others? How are you supposed to remain humble while seeking after success? St. Thomas Aquinas gives some amazing insights into the virtue of humility and shows that it is actually essential for every leader and that in fact true leadership can make you humble.
Living a life according to virtue is difficult for anybody. But those in roles of leadership are under particular scrutiny by those whom they serve. Everyday their every decision has impact on the lives of those who are underneath them. For this reason, leaders have a special need for the virtue of justice. By justice each person is given what is their due. But justice presents special challenges both in its acquisition and in its practice. Thank goodness for God’s grace.
Whether we are leading a family or a business, all leaders have to do things they don’t want to do. As soon as we assume the mantle of leadership we assume the mantle of facing things that could hurt us – that could take valuable time away, valuable resources away or even inflict pain at different levels of our life. This means that leaders have to be brave. St. Thomas Aquinas describes the virtue of bravery as fortitude and this third of the cardinal virtues is what we are focusing on today.
If you were to take a poll of famous topics for leadership talks, temperance would not rank in the top ten. For most people temperance has a negative connotation, as if it were something that would stifle our energies or keep us from the fullness of life. St. Thomas Aquinas has a very different vision for temperance. According to him, temperance is necessary for the full life and has the power to guarantee that we attain the real good and excellence for which we are called. This is why studying it is so important for us today.
If there’s one thing that organizational leaders share in common it’s the need to know how to advance when no one else does. Being at the top means being in charge and being at the top means making decisions that will influence the entire organization for the better or for the worse. The goal, obviously, is to make decisions well and this ability is much more than instinct. For the ancients, they called it the virtue of prudence. I’d like to look at St. Thomas Aquinas and what his teaching on prudence has to teach us today.
There is a lot of talk today in Catholic circles about virtuous leadership. This is a good thing but do we know why virtue is important? Why does Catholic teaching emphasize virtue so much and why should it be important to business leadership? In this second of a six part series I lead our participants through an examination of the importance of identity for leadership and the importance of virtue for identity. If we are going to admit that leadership comes from who we are and virtues help define who we are, then we see the importance of virtues for leadership.
Today, talking about character based leadership has become something fashionable. Books, podcasts, seminars all focus in on on the term virtue. By so doing we feel like we have checked of our Christian box in leadership and that we can safely move on. But the issue is actually much more explosive. Character influences leadership in ways that are profound and fruitful. The question is why? In this first of a six part series I would like to look at the question more deeply.
Work is a constant in everyone’s life. While we can enjoy it or we can suffer from it we cannot avoid it. But how can I make it better both for myself and for the people that I manage and the people who benefit from it? And if I work in business how can I ensure that my business remains ethical – truly focused on the true good? The key is to look at work and business from the human perspective. It is something done for the human person – for the benefit of everyone else.
Leaders don’t get to be in the positions they have by doing nothing. Instead they are men and women of action. But does this mean they have to leave their people behind? Is there a way to unite both action and productivity? In the Catholic imagination the two are linked. In the 13th century a Dominican friar named St. Thomas Aquinas gave valuable insight into this very question by comparing human leadership with God’s governing of the world.
It goes without saying that those in leadership want to lead well, but what are the elements that make a leadership effective, good, and even pleasing to God. Without a doubt St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica gives us some valuable insights when he talks about how God leads the world. If our leadership could be patterned on God’s we’d be sure to be doing something right. In this second of my six part series, I focus on how good leadership makes the people who follow us more fulfilled in who they are.
People of faith in leadership positions find themselves in a quandary: “How do I live my faith when my job is vowed to be in a secular situation?” After living that way for many years sometimes we can feel that faith does not actually have a place in the workplace after all. The roots of Catholic leadership go very deep. St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica lays a surprisingly relevant foundation for Catholic principles. I can’t wait to unpack them with you in this series of six talks delivered for the St. John Leadership Network.
The power of a leader is as much about your connection with your people as it is about your vision and your drive. People follow those who trust them and they trust those who show the character and the drive necessary not only to succeed but to succeed at doing what’s right. This is the difference that Christ makes. In this sixth and final episode of our six part series on The Difference Christ Makes we look at the unique impact Jesus gives to his followers in their connectivity with others and how that applies to our businesses.
Leaders are people of action. They are those who have the vision to know what they want to do, the intelligence to choose how to do it, and the dedication to carry the job through. It’s this last part that is a challenge for many. As soon as we begin the process of change, challenges will arise from every side. How do we form the heart and the drive sufficient to carry our actions through to success. In these circumstances the Christian faith shines beautifully and gives Christian leaders and advantage.
There are many aspects about the Christian faith which we could find surprising. Not everything that God does is immediately self evident to us. But something that never ceases to amaze me is that God insists that we take action. Not only does he say, “Do not be afraid,” but He doesn’t let us off the hook. Leaders have to make decisions constantly and engage themselves in operations that can sometimes be risky. Why does God do this? And where can we find the courage to embrace the risk and still dare the deed?
Making decisions is one of the most important aspects of leadership. Our people count on us to make decisions and to make them well. And the decisions of a leader can jeopardize or bless the entire organization. But making choices is not something that comes easy. How do we know which of the many possible good things to choose from is the right one? For a Christian, Christ comes to bring us clarity. But what does this clarity look like? How are we supposed to know what God’s will is and what we are supposed to do.
We all know that Christ makes a difference. But what difference does he make in leadership? Is there anything distinctively difference about the way Christians approach leadership with the way seculars approach leadership? What difference does Christ make? In this second of a six part series we examine the impact of Christ upon our creative energies. Our ability to think outside the box and to create a whole new context for our ideas. Surprisingly this is something we have done throughout the history of the Church and something we will keep doing today.
While the demands of leadership are the same in every context, the way we approach leadership can be different. A Christian leader leads differently than his secular counterpart. From visioning an idea to implementing a strategy, through carrying out and executing a plan, a Christian leader simply leads, frankly, differently. In this first of a six part series I examine the difference that the Christian spirit demonstrates in leadership. I attempt to answer the question, “What difference does it make if I believe?”
Daring great things is where leadership begins but leadership ends in the hearts of those that follow us. Its not enough just to be doing things or doing them well, we have to do them in a way that other people can associate with and make it their own. How do I make my great accomplishments a legacy that other people can benefit from? We have to learn how to make our spirit come alive in the hearts of others. Ironically, has to be concerned about his followers.
Before we do anything it is important to stop and plan how we are going to do it. Afterall, failing to plan is planning to fail. Part of this planning includes looking at where we could actually falter along the way. And understanding the reasons we fail can become a big reason why we succeed. In this fourth talk of the series we look at one of the biggest reasons we fail: fatigue, burnout, and being frustrated along the way.
One of the most common struggles that people have is passing from planning into action. We all know what we should be doing, but actually doing it can seem an insurmountable hurdle. How do we pass from having good intentions to actually having good actions? Every leader has to do this. St. Thomas Aquinas gives us the key. He says the fear of risk can be overcome by love and by the knowledge of what is right. Putting this into practice can be the difference between failure and success.
Without a doubt leadership is hard and challenging and sometimes we get so used to its challenge that we forget that we can make it successful. We learn to get used to the very things that can cause our downfall. But it doesn’t have to be this way. One of the big elements we struggle with as leaders is our ability to plan effectively - our ability to see our way through changing circumstances. This ability is impeded by what we call “fog”. And understanding “fog” is the key to overcoming it.
Leaders want success. In fact, our people count on us to provide success. That’s why it’s important to know where we can fail. Being able to identify the pitfalls along our road is sometimes as important as knowing where we are going. In this series of five talks, we examine the five pitfalls that plague leaders and hinder our ability to succeed. The first among these five is fatalism and I am so looking forward to breaking it down and opening it to Christ’s hope in your lives.
Most people acknowledge that humility is a good thing – something that we should desire. But most leaders struggle to find how humility can be incorporated into their leadership. Afterall, don’t we need to be assertive? Controlling? In Charge? It would seem that if I am a leader and I am humble that I am weak and incapable of providing the vision and the drive necessary for my people. But this is not the case. In the third chapter of St. Paul’s letter to Titus we see that God’s vision for humility is a powerful one. In all the books of the bible we find God’s wisdom
We all know that leaders are responsible for getting things done, leading their organizations to be productive, but sometimes we forget that leadership also sometimes has a softer side and that a leader is just as responsible for the moral climate of his organization as he is for its efficiency. In St. Paul’s letter to Titus, Chapter 2, St. Paul outlines his vision for the leader as the guardian of excellence. And what he wrote Titus then still holds true for us today.
One of the most intriguing figures in the New Testament is St. Paul. Most commentators spend their lives speaking of Paul’s theology and his relationship with Christ. But Paul was also a leader who left a legacy of leadership to his followers and one of his closest disciples was Titus. In Paul’s letter to Titus we find the heart of a leader speaking to his leader about the task he has appointed him, In Paul’s own words a leader is God’s steward.
There are a lot of things in common between business leaders and mountain climbers. In the same way that mountain climbers dare heights by precipitous paths, so the business leader needs to walk a fine line. So many things need to be balanced at the moral level and inside of themselves in order to do what they do and do it at the service of Christ. But there are principles to guide them. One of these principles is that everything we do we do for others. Our success means the success of everyone involved in the process.
In our work with the Catholic leader, one of the most sensitive subjects is whether or not they should make money. For some reason making a profit in our business has been associated with guilt and corruption. But is this association always accurate? Is it okay for a Catholic business leader to actually make a profit? And if they do make a profit what are they supposed to do with it? How does Christ qualify our success and how does a profitable Christian business look different from those of the world?
All of us engaged in business know the scenario: the people at the top have the answers, the people at the bottom have the wherewithal, the people at the top become frustrated that the people at the bottom don’t execute, and the people at the bottom become frustrated because the people at the top don’t listen. How do we reverse this paradigm? In 2011 the Catholic Church issued a document called, “The Vocation Of The Catholic Business Leader.” It issued six principles to govern leadership in this environment. The fourth principle, that of subsidiarity, tackles just this question.
The non-Christian world can paint a vision of capitalism wherein the owner or the boss rules over the workers – exacting from them the maximum of energies in the most efficient way possible for the maximum profit. Is this the vision that God has for our work? In its landmark document from 2011, the Catholic Church lays out six principles to guide business leaders. Its third principle holds that business ought to be for the benefit of the employees as well as the customer. Here’s how this can be done.
All of us are aware of the cliché that says that business somehow causes poverty or that capitalism and charity are opposed. This however is challenged by the document that the Vatican released in 2011 called “The Vocation Of The Catholic Business Leader.” This document issues six principles that are to guide every business leader in their vocation and its second principle says that businesses are there to help the poor. How can this be done?
In 2011 the Vatican issued a guide for Catholic business leaders called The Vocation Of The Business Leader. This is an amazing document, because in 33 pages it summarizes the whole teaching of the Catholic Church about business but does so in a way that is helpful to the Catholic business leader to read in a short time. I want to go through that document and study it’s six practical principles for business, because in a short form it gives us a real guide for our real lives.
There are many ways to define the secrets of success but Christians have their own definition. St. Paul lays it out clearly for us in his second letter to Timothy, chapter 4, where he speaks about the crown that is laid up for him in the Lord. Through all of his life and his many ups and downs, St. Paul witnesses that Jesus is faithful and has carried him through all his adversities. His words of hope help inspire us in our own journeys as leaders.
St. Paul is surely one of the most famous leaders listed in the entire Bible. His life reads like a passionate saga and is full of lessons for those of us, who being Christians, want to follow in his footsteps leading in our world. That’s why his second letter to Timothy is so important. It actually chronicles St. Paul’s final letter in the New Testament to one of his closest disciples. Chapter 3 of this letter offers us wonderful insight into faith’s capacity to bring us endurance.
The second letter to St. Timothy is one of St. Paul’s most important letters. Written at the end of his life, St. Paul leaves a legacy in the heart of Timothy for how he sees good leadership. It remains for us an amazing example of God’s teaching for us on the power and truth of our own leadership and gives us valuable insights on what it means to please Christ by being a good soldier for Him.
Without a doubt the life of St. Paul is one of the best places to study leadership in The New Testament. Not only is his life an example of leadership, but in his first and second letters to Timothy St. Paul exposes his heart. He writes to his beloved son, Timothy, whom he has formed in the faith, a letter of encouragement to go all the way to the end to mee the demands of leading God’s people. His letter gives us many wonderful insights, especially in how to rekindle the fire.
Let’s face it, leading other people is always hard. If we say the wrong thing in the wrong way, we can actually discourage the people we are supposed to encourage. On the other hand if we just tell them the truth like it is, we can leave them without any motivation. Speaking the word of truth correctly is the art and essence of good communication and leadership. But how do we do this? Pope St. Gregory the Great offers us some amazing insights in his book, “On The Rule of Shepherds – Book 3.”
The Bible has a lot to say about talking. The Letter of St. James, for example, says the tongue is the key to all virtue. The Lord Himself says that every idle word we’ll have to account for on the day of judgement. And all of us who manage people know the power of words to edify and destroy. But what is the value of silence? Is it possible to talk too much? How do we know when to speak and what to say? Pope St. Gregory The Great has some valuable insights.
As anyone who has ever had to manage people can tell you, jealousy is one of the most dangerous passions to rule in the workplace. Where people are jealous division will ensue and teamwork will corrode. We who are in charge of our teams needs to watch for jealousy and ward against it. Pope St. Gregory The Great in his “Rule Of Shepherds” Book 3 gives us some valuable insights we can apply as we try to lead our workplace with Christ.
Anyone who has had to manage any kind of organization – from a business to a family – know that patience is called for. But how do we build it up? How do we grow in our patience? How do we know when impatience actually could be a good thing? Pope St. Gregory The Great gives us wonderful insights in his tenth admonition in his third book “On The Rule Of Shepherds” written for pastors of the Church but applicable for business leaders and family leaders alike.
Ask any organizational leader what the hardest part of their job is and they will all say the same thing: managing people. You cannot win at business without your people but your people can often be the reason why you lose at business. Becoming an excellent manager is an art and a skill as much as it is a natural talent. In Chapter 3 of his work, On The Rule Of Shepherds, Pope St. Gregory The Great gives us insight that can help all of us with this difficult task.
The one who rules by fear will also fall by fear. This saying was never so true as in the life of King Saul. In this fourth and final episode of our commentary on Saul as an anti-leader, we see the end of his life. He ends his life in the same way that he led it: fearful, controlling, and inconsistent. Saul’s life is a wonderful pattern for us to avoid. He shows us that the temptation to control ends in folly.
While seeing how leaders fail is never pleasant, it can also be very instructive. The rise and the fall of King Saul in the Bible presents us a good example of a life gone awry in authority. His jealousy over David is the most well known symptom but the cause of his downfall is rooted in something much deepers. Not only character flaws but a stubborn pride that keeps him from accepting God’s will. Here’s part three on my series on King Saul.
Most of us remember the life of King David in the Old Testament but few of us have ever studied the life of King Saul. Just as the life of King David is an example to us of great leadership, the life of King Saul can be seen as an example of what I call “Anti-Leadership.” In 1 Samuel 18 and 19, this anti leadership is on full display. Saul is not only afraid to fight Goliath but gets jealous of David. And his fear and jealousy have a lot to teach us about our own leadership today.
When it comes to leadership, I think you can learn as much from bad leaders as from good ones. It is certainly the case in the life of King Saul. King Saul ruled over Israel for forty-two years, beginning when he was 30 years old and his life spanned in 1 Samuel 9 all the way to 1 Samuel 31. During his remarkable rule his faults become more and more evident. And by studying them we can learn to avoid them in our own lives.
Anyone who has ever successfully led a project to its completion can readily attest to the fact that leadership is as much of a challenge from the inside as it is from the outside. Leaders not only have to adjust to changing circumstances and vicissitudes beyond their power, but leaders also have to play the mind game of being ready to pivot. Being able to let go of the ideal that can sometimes keep us from success. Our faith can help us here. Not only by inspiring us but by keeping us realistic.
Every Advent Christians are treated to readings from the Gospel which remind them to stay awake. In Luke chapter 21 Our Lord says, “Keep on the alert at all times.” Obviously Our Lord here is referring here to a spiritual alertness but it’s also something that we can apply in the world of business. To what degree does a leader need to stay awake at all times? How can his faith help him to do so? And how can his business help him to stay awake in his faith?
There’s an old adage in Christianity that God writes straight with crooked lines. The same can be said with many on their course to success. A good leader needs to know how to bend and when to bend. It’s like the old adage, “Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.” That ability to change course in the midst of a project we refer to as “pivoting.” Beginning by our understanding of success and lived through our willingness to change , sometimes our ability to succeed depends upon our ability to pivot.
We all know how important determination and effort is to succeed at what we do. After all a large portion of success is determined by our effort to get there. What can be overlooked in this process, however, is the nimbleness and agility of mind necessary in order to make the adaptations or even change course as needed on our pathway to success. This flexibility is something that we can cultivate and grow and it is at the very root of the art of power.
The second book of Pope St. Gregory The Great’s “Rule For Shepherds” comes to a close by tackling one of the thorniest problems in the heart of a leader. Whom do we serve? On the one hand if we serve only God we run the risk of losing the people that we are called to lead. However, if we serve the people that we are called to lead we can sometimes run amuck of our relationship with God. The proper balance can only be found in what I call the love of a servant.
Christian leaders have to face a constant dilemma. Belonging to Jesus Christ and at His Service their hearts are focused on heaven, and yet having to care for the things of this world their time and their mental capacity are dominated by the things that pass. How do we keep our souls alive and fresh in God when are time is spent with the anxieties and cares of life? This constant problem for Christian leaders could be summed up by the expression “We need to live in the world, but not of the world.”
Christians who lead faith’s many paradoxes – we are supposed to be humble and yet we have authority. We are supposed to be docile and yet we assert ourselves. We are supposed to be virtuous and yet we place ourselves in positions that are often tempting. Is it any wonder that so many people think Christians aren’t supposed to lead or so many Christians refuse to lead. Pope St. Gregory the Great gives us a keen answer in chapter 6 of his second book, “On The Rule Of Shepherds.”
When you’re in charge you don’t have a cookie cutter method for guaranteeing you are doing what is right. You have to make decisions that are difficult and uncertain and you have to make them every day. Pope St. Gregory the Great understood this because he had to do the same thing every day. And in his book, “The Rule For Shepherds” he gives us insight on how to bridge the paradoxes and find a way to leading our people with a unified vision despite the variety of decisions that fill our day.
Pope St. Gregory The Great has an enigmatic phrase at the beginning of Chapter 3 of his second book of his monumental work, “The Rule Of Shepherds.” He says, “A leader must be first in all of his actions.” Simply put this means a leader’s actions must be excellent, magnanimous, kingly. There’s an indication and an expectation that those who lead live at a higher level of excellence. But how does this call translate for a Christian today?
Let’s face it , leadership is hard! As soon as we start to lead we encounter a whole host of sacrifices and challenges that we never had to face before. And yet for everything daunting about it, leadership also presents a unique blessing for us. By persevering through the challenges and continuing to do the mission Christ has given us, we grow in holiness and in charity. This is the positive message that Pope Gregory The Great puts forth in his second book of his Rule For Shepherds, and his wisdom from more than a thousand years ago continues today.
Christian leaders have to do something difficult – we have to constantly balance asserting ourselves and using our talents and being humble before God. Errors can happen in both ways either by not asserting ourselves or by losing sight of the service we render to Jesus. St. Paul was not unaware of this challenge. In First Timothy 5 and 6 he shows St. Timothy how to make this proper balance and exhorts him to lead while being friend to Christ.
For anyone who has tried it is obvious that leadership is not easy. Besides skill and opportunity, a leader needs a tremendous amount of steadfastness and just plain grit. In St. Paul’s First Letter to St. Timothy, we see St. Paul encouraging St. Timothy with the full realization that what he has commanded Timothy to do will be hard. May the Word of God inspire us to persevere as well.
Does God expect us to lead out of our strengths or out of our weaknesses? It seems like both are good options. In the First Letter of St. Paul to St. Timothy chapter 3 we read St. Timothy give us a list of the qualifications that God wants to see from his bishops and his deacons. Qualifications which could be applied to any of our positions of leadership. Is this an indication that God wants us to be qualified for leadership? If so, how do we get that qualification?
St. Paul the Apostle was an incredible leader in his own right. Before dying he left his legacy in writing both to St. Timothy and to St. Titus. In this second part of this series on his First Letter to St. Timothy we see Paul express the importance of leadership and the specific contribution to Christian leadership for everyone in the world. As Paul encourage Timothy so also he encourages us today.
Sacred scripture is replete with references to leadership. And the wisdom of the Saints such as St. Paul can have great impact for the leaders of today. What does St. Paul leave behind him? In this series on the First Letter of St. Paul to Timothy I want to examine the lessons in leadership that Paul bequeaths to his young follower. In chapter one we see Paul leaving a legacy of character based leadership that must both maintain the old and bring it to the new.
Even though written fifteen hundred years ago, Pope St. Gregory The Great’s landmark treatise on the rule of shepherds continues to provide valuable insight to us today on what it means to lead. Notably he says that leaders have to be virtuous. Why is this? What’s the role of virtue in leadership? This last class in this series closes out our treatment of this great document by comparing the virtuous rule with the rule of the wicked.
Leaders know that they’re talented. You know that you have gifts that you are called to share. But how do you stay humble? Is it ever okay to refuse the honor of leadership out of a sense of deference or humility? And on the other hand is it ever okay to accept to lead because you know that you are the best one for the job? These are the questions that St. Gregory The Great treats in chapters 5, 6, and 7 of his book, “Regula Pastoralis”, that is, “A Rule For Shepherds.”
Leadership is a challenge for all of us for many reasons but almost every leader complains of being distracted. Not being able to focus on what they have to do and sometimes being overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the problems before them. You might be interested to know that the same complaint was shared by a pope, Pope St. Gregory The Great. In his book, “On The Rule Of Shepherds” he writes about this and about how to overcome it by the grace of God.
St. Gregory The Great lived a very long time ago but his words remain important for us today. Even though he was a Pope and a Bishop he was first and foremost a leader. His book, “On The Rule Of Shepherds” is a hallmark on leadership from the middle ages to today. Looking at this book can give us insights into what Christ asks for those that follow Him by leading others.
One of the biggest challenges a leader has is the fact that everyone of us is responsible for the decisions that the people under us will make. How can I help the people that I lead make good decisions? St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica writes a great deal about making choices. By following his teaching we can have an insight that will help us to make good decisions.
Of all the kings of the Old Testament King Solomon stands apart. His reign was stupendous. His wisdom very deep. His success by worldly standards was unparalleled. And yet he fell and he fell mightily. What can we learn from his example? An example of a talented man, extremely wise and extremely successful, but whose lack of virtue gets the better of him.
Among the saints in the New Testament Saint Paul stands apart. He was successful in ways that we can’t even measure. He was the apostle to the Gentiles, the founder of churches, and the model for evangelizers. But Saint Paul also knew hard times: riots, anxieties, afflictions, imprisonment. What can we learn from the things the Bible shows us where Saint Paul knew not only victory but defeat.
Sometimes leaders feel like they have to be perfect. It can be good, however, to study the times that leaders aren’t perfect. Seeing that God shows mercy to us even when we are imperfect can encourage us to continue to lead even during difficult times. In Part 3 of our series “Where Leaders Fail” we read about Moses. Just like we can learn from his wonderful deeds, we can also learn from his weaknesses.
Most of us are aware of the story of King David, of the way that God blessed him and of God’s eternal covenant with David. And most of us are aware of the story of Bathsheba and David’s famous lack of chastity. The lessons of the life of David for our spiritual lives are many and deep. But studying his failures from Bathsheba to Absalom his son to his census of Israel teaches us a powerful lesson about God’s merciful love for his leaders.
We all know that leaders need to be strong and bold and brave. We all know that a group’s success will depend in large proportion on the success of it’s leadership. But what happens when leaders aren’t successful? Have there ever been saints that showed us the other side of failure? What can we learn from the stories of leaders, even Saints, who may have come up short from time to time. Join me in my first part of the series, “Where Leaders Fail.”
In this final episode of my class on Saul Alinsky’s book, “Rules For Radicals,” I give an overview of this thought and describe why I think his thought is so dangerous and at the same time so appealing. His vision for organizers represents a vision that many people share about leadership. But I think it’s also an opportunity for us who follow Christ to understand better what the world is really longing for from our leadership.
In Chapter 7 of his book, “Rules For Radicals” Saul Alinsky unveils what he is most famous for. The rules for victory that radicals can follow for organizing a community for change. These rules have sparked much interest and debate for many years because they are both practical and successful. But are they aligned with the Gospel? Where can we both learn from them and do better?
All leadership implies power but does power explain what leadership is? From a Catholic perspective leadership requires principle. Saul Alinsky would disagree. In Chapter 6 of his book, “Rules For Radicals”, Alinsky lays out a very powerful description of leadership without principle. What does the Christian have to say in response?
Regardless of what we have to say, our ability to say it is equally important. If we cannot express what we have inside no one will listen to us anyway. This is the great intuition of Saul Alinsky in “Rules For Radicals” where he outlines the words used by organizers, the education necessary for an organizer, and highlights the importance of their ability to communicate. How does this relate to the Gospel?
Does a good end justify the means taken to get there? Our leaders authorized to do the good “no matter what” by any means necessary – even means that are wrong? Can we judge something as being wrong when it actually produces something that is good? These questions are central to the question of leadership and the decisions we have to make as leaders. Our Lord in the Gospel gives and answer to these questions. So does Saul Alinsky in Chapter 2 of his book “Rules For Radicals.” Let’s compare the two.
Christ calls us to be leaders, but what exactly is the point of the leadership to which He calls us? In Saul Alinsky’s, “Rules For Radicals,” he presents a vision of leadership devoid of an ultimate end goal. Instead he insists on the ultimate relationship between leadership and the power to wield it. Couldn’t this be a Catholic moment? Isn’t this an opportunity for us to build a bridge with his thought?
Sometimes the voice of the Gospel can best be heard by listening to the voices of those who do not profess it. Such is the case for Saul Alinsky. In his “Rules For Radicals” this social agitator outlined a series of beliefs that have produced stunning success. But have they produced effective leadership? What’s the difference between his philosophy on leadership and the truth of the Gospel?
The persuasive power of any falsehood lies in its proximity with the truth. Machiavelli’s, “The Prince”, contains many truths and many statements which ring true to our practical ears. Chapter 22 concerning the secretaries of princes is a great example of this. In this chapter we read many things that help us understand our role as servants against the backdrop of Machiavellian reasoning.
Chapter 18 of Machiavelli’s “The Prince” is the most controversial of them all. You could even say that it represents the heart of his thesis. Concerning the way in which princes should keep faith it flies directly in contradiction to what most of us as Christian leaders understand as the power of leadership coming from Christ. And so it is a fascinating study to help us understand where Christ wants us to lead and how.
In his book “The Prince”, Machiavelli makes the claim that it is better for a leader to be feared rather than loved. He makes the claim that the efficiency of maintaining power is better for those who instill fear in their followers rather than those who live the good life. What is a Christian to do in front of such a claim? How did Christ live this out? This is what we want to talk about today.
Leaders find themselves at the crux between the practical and the ideal. Between what is expedient and what is best. How does our faith help us navigate staying in power and using our influence while following the teachings of God and practicing virtue? One way not to do it is to follow the teaching of Machiavelli. In this first of series of talks on anti-leaders we begin by studying Machiavelli and “The Prince.”
For many leadership is an act whereby we influence people to do what we need them to do. This is a very true idea, however, Catholic leadership goes much deeper. For Christians, we try to lead other not only to do what we need them to do but to be whom God has made them to be. This lasting legacy needs more than skill of command and organization, it needs the ability to inspire in a way that leaves a legacy.
St. Thomas Aquinas is a genius of thought and in this course for Catholic leaders I present a summary course on the four aspects of all human action essential for leadership. In today’s class I focus in on the doing of deeds. All leadership goes from vision into planning and from planning into execution. Doing the great things we planned is the key to having impact in our lives.
The story of Wilbur and Oliver Wright has captivated our hearts for more than a century. In their lives we see an example of innovation being the first in flight and proving the impossible can be done. But their story is more than just daring. It involved a lot of planning and strategy and their ability to make good decisions. St. Thomas Aquinas concurs. Great leadership begins with great dreams but great dreams need great strategy for execution.
By our baptism God calls us to be leaders of our world. But where does leadership begin? How can someone who might not customarily be used to leading actually begin to assert themselves under God’s grace in the world around them? St. Thomas Aquinas offers us some amazing insights from his Summa Theologica. Let’s dive in and talk about the movement of the will and it’s power to lead.
Leadership can be defined in many ways. Yet most definitions converge on the same point: Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. The impact my life can make on others to bring others to act for a common vision. But how can I harness my leadership for its maximal impact? How can I lead best? St. Thomas Aquinas gives us the key – he teaches how to act with depth.
After a lifetime of leadership, effort, struggle, all of us want to leave a legacy behind that will be remembered. When it is all said and done what will your life leave behind? These are the questions that all of us face, King David was no different, and before he died he spoke to Solomon, his successor, and he gave him his legacy. By looking at it we can get a better glimpse of our own.
Our Lord doesn’t call leaders to lead just in their businesses. He calls them to lead in their families as well. And in fact, it is especially in the family that the depths of who we are are tested and tried and where our leadership most intimately links us to our God. It was no different for King David as he confronted the real struggles in his family. He also had to find his own peace with God.
Shouldn’t it all be easy? That’s a question we a lot of us ask ourselves as we lead our businesses and work with our children – we have a dream in our mind, a kind of nostalgia, that life should be at least easy if we are good at it. And we all want to be good at it so we think somehow or other that troubles or difficulties are signs of failure. But that’s not what the life of King David shows us. By looking at how King David dealth with trials we can learn a little bit more about our own.
Every good leader knows that there are few people in his life more important than those that he trusts to give good advice. It was no different for King David. In his kingdom he relied up on prophets and friends to guide him. One of his most trusted advisors was the prophet Nathan. Their relationship was profound. Nathan corrected David twice and saved his kingdom and his legacy forever. Let’s listen to the story and listen to God speak to us as well.
All of us need time where we can take a break and let our spirits be renewed. In this very special series on “A Retreat With King David” I lead business professionals through a time of reflection on their own life as leaders in light of the story of King David. God’s incredible working in David’s life presents a paradigm to help us understand the challenges and the grace of our own.
Every leader needs to pray. The best gauge of h ow much we can stand for is the dignity of the One before whom we knee. Prayer is the heart of leadership because it preservers the heart of the leader. And the inner spirit that soars towards God can transform the world as needed. One of the most powerful prayers for leaders is the prayer of The Litany Of Humility and I’m looking to sharing about it with you.
All too often in my life as a Priest I hear business leaders tell me that they don’t know why they pray. It’s almost as if for them the time spent in prayer might be spent better by doing productive labors. Our inability to honor the sabbath properly speaks to this. What does the Bible have to say about the prayers of leaders? What you find in the Bible might surprise you.
The life of the Virgin Mary is the tale of a hero. In the face of great obstacles and great opposition Our Lady demonstrated leadership in the most excellent of ways. She goes before us as a mother and a queen, but it can be easy to overlook the harrowing and trying circumstances in which she lived. Learning about her heroism helps us in our own.
By our baptism we are called to lead. We are called to bring the influence of Christ into our families, into our relationships, and into our world. But in what does this leadership principally consist - especially for those of us who have been entrusted with communities, in our families, in our businesses, what are we supposed to do? St. Thomas Aquinas offers us concise and insightful guidance in his work, De Regno, On The King, his letter to the King of Cyprus.
When all things are said and done, the goal of leadership ought to be simple. Thomas Aquinas provides us with a wonderful summary in chapter sixteen of his work, On The King, he gives us a final goal - three things. By focusing on these three things we can find the direction we need as we apply leadership to our home, our business, and our world.
In business as in life, success is largely a function of focus. Knowing what our priorities are allows us to hit them correctly allows us to be successful. What’s the proper focus for leadership? What is it supposed to be all about? Aquinas’ De Regno, offers us an amazing lesson in leadership, allowing us to see that the true end goal of leadership is in the ultimate perfection of those that we lead.
We all know the temptation to glory, power, and fame. We all know the power of its allure and how desirable it seems to be. So what’s the downside? If in fact we don’t live as soldiers of Christ and followers of the King of Kings but become tyrants ourselves, benefitting ourselves at the expense of our flock, what’s the downside? What could possible go wrong? Listen in to my commentary on chapters 10 and 11 of Thomas Aquinas’ De Regno.
Choosing to lead is choosing a kind of solitude, a way of life that few people understand. Leadership has its own crosses and its own blessings, and its own rewards. St. Thomas Aquinas in his book, De Regno, in chapter 10, lays out for us the uncommon rewards for the uncommon sacrifices that a leader has to endure for the sake of God.
For all the effort that goes into leadership what shall be our reward? Afterall considering all the things that we sacrifice and do in order to make great things happen, what does God have laid up for us who have labored so hard for Him? Is it earthly glory? Is it power and prestige? What should it be? St. Thomas Aquinas offers us an amazing insight in his letter, De Regno.
In Chapter 9 of De Regno, Thomas Aquinas makes a startling discovery. He speaks about the reward that God is offering for the leader. And he ends by saying that the reward of the leader is to have God himself. This strikes me as important for us to understand the true nature of happiness – the true reason of why we are doing what we are doing.
Without a doubt our life as leaders can propose challenges. And yet, what is its reward? What are we in this for after all? And as a Christian leader, what is it proper to be in it for? What is the proper reward for a follower of Christ who takes upon himself or herself the mantle of leadership? Is it right to look for anything at all? What does our Lord teach us about leadership and its rewards?
Everybody is tempted sometimes to question the value of leading by virtue. Afterall, wouldn’t we make more money, be more profitable, find power quicker by mitigating our leadership into a life of power seeking or pleasure seeking? Sometimes it seems like people who don’t follow God’s law even flourish the quicker. Thomas Aquinas gives us a different perspective and underlines the essential importance that virtue plays in leadership.
When I first began these leadership lessons on De Regno by Aquinas, I never anticipated finding some of the greatest jewels about leadership in the chapter on tyranny. But in fact, that is just what happened. Sometimes you see most clearly what a thing is by looking at it’s opposite. And Aquinas shows us most clearly what good Christian leadership looks like by looking at it’s opposition - tyranny.
In today’s world it can be very confusing to figure out exactly what it is we’re supposed to do as leaders. Many people will have many opinions. Leaders bringing concord, leaders charging from the front, leaders supporting all with compassion. St. Thomas Aquinas actually has a very clear vision for leaders. He calls it unity. But what exactly does he mean?
We all know that leaders have authority and that that authority has an impact on those that they lead. But the question is, “How does that leader make that authority felt with strength while at the same time effectively build up the people that are under him with gentleness?” In his work, De Regno, written to the King of Cyprus, St. Thomas Aquinas offers a valuable lesson on this subject.
The work of St. Thomas Aquinas remains at the center of Catholic tradition. In his many writings Thomas treats of leadership in many different ways. But nowhere is his treatment as concise or condensed as in his letter to the King of Cyprus in his book De Regno. I’d like to continue lessons that I’ve given on this book about leadership. This is lesson number two on Leaders of the Common Good.
St. Thomas Aquinas is one of the greatest minds in the history of the world. He wrote about authority and leadership in many different ways and in many places. Today, I’d like to begin a series studying his thoughts on leadership and the impact that that can make directly on our modern-day leaders. Join me on this exciting adventure as we begin a ten part series on the leadership lessons of Aquinas.
Leaders lead in their own way. Saints are the same. Although most of us have preconceptions about Saints, describing them in terms of prayer and piety, Pier Giorgio Frassati shows us a different look. He was full of life, energy, and activism. He was a courageous leader for his age, his peers, and for us today.
I’d like to tell you of St. Margaret Clitherow, the patron saint of Catholic businesswomen and entrepreneurs. This incredible woman left a legacy of courage as she gave up her life harboring priests and inspired her children to dedicating their lives to God as well. Listen in to this amazing tale of leadership from the inside.
When most people speak about leadership today, they mean it in the context of business. And there are ample examples of great leadership in the world of business, and ample examples of Catholics who have typified that same leadership in the world of business. But I’d like to focus us today on the reflection of a great Saint who was not a business leader but in fact the Pope, Pope St. John Paul II, and see how his life teaches us about Catholic leadership.
Today, leadership requires courage. In times like ours it’s easier to stop rather than to keep going. But what’s the secret to courage? In the lives of the saints we find many examples of courageous leadership. But in the life of St. Stanislaus, Bishop of Krakow, there is a special lesson that speaks to each one of us: the strength of consistent integrity.
I think that most of us feel that when you do something heroic you should be recognized for it. Almost like, “Good heroes usually win.” In the story of St. John Bosco, however, this was not the case. He had to defend himself, work hard, be under appreciated, and make his case boldly in a situation where people did not believe in him, or make it easy for him. His is a story of true heroism.
Courageous leadership requires courageous leaders. And that’s what we find in the lives of many Saints, but few saints excel in the areas of zeal and apostolic labors like Saint Junipero Serra. I’d like to look at his life in particular because it reminds us of the urgency to both spread the Gospel and the willingness to lay down our lives in order to make this happen. Obviously this is something that we can apply to all the calls of God in our lives.
All of us are inspired by the lives of Saints. I think it is important that we remember, though, that Saints come in all different stripes. Some are poor and destitute and others come from lives of affluence. What makes Saints great is not their background but how they use it for the love of God. In today’s Saint, St. Catherine Drexel we learn the surprising story of a young woman of wealth who becomes holy for others.
When you read the lives of the Saints you can get the impression that things were pretty easy for them. Afterall, they’re the Saints! It looks like their lives just kind of roll along and they do wonderful things for God. A far cry from what we have to go through. When you read the life of Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini that impression can change. This was a woman of terrific courage who faced amazing hardships and endured.
Heroes come in all sizes and stripes. We are well versed in the lives of heroic priests and bishops in the Catholic church. But not many of realize the heroism intrinsic in America women saints. One of the most amazing of them is St. Marianne Cope. I want to tell you about her life and her example of courageous leadership.
Fr. Nathan's series on courageous leaders to inspire us during difficult times! Part 1 discusses the courage of St. Damien of Molokai.
There are many things that make us stop as leaders. Things that keep us from doing that job that we’re here to do. One of those biggest things is our fear of death. How amazing then to follow Jesus Christ who came in order to die and to save us through His death. What lessons does that hold for you and me today
I think all of us agree that preaching the Gospel is a good thing. I think all of us actually understand that that forms the heart of our faith. But I don’ think all of us understand how we who are engaged in the world in secular business and in professions can actually be expected to preach the Gospel. What does it look like for a Catholic business leader or professional to preach the Gospel?
It goes without saying that leadership’s greatest problem doesn’t come from outside conditions but rather from working with people. From ourselves and our own inadequacies to the various ways that the people we work with can perform well – or not. If we could learn how to master the human heart, then everything else would fall into place. The good news is that’s exactly what Christ came to do.
Most people dread conflict. It’s a simple fact. In the life of a leader, however, conflict is necessary. As a matter of fact many leadership organizational models teach you to mine for conflict – try to find it out and flush it out. But is this really the role that Christ wants us to play as Christians? When can conflict be healthy? When is it to be avoided at all costs? What does Christ have to say about this?
Of all the sayings of Christ, His prohibition against judgement is one that has perplexed many for a long time. Judging essential for leadership. It is essential for living. Then why would Christ forbid it? What does this mean for us today?
For many Christians today, obedience is one of the hardest things to master. Afterall, what exactly is its value? Why should we try and inculcate a spirit of obedience? How do we keep from being obedient and servile at the same time? Christ speaks in John 6 of how He came to do the will of the Father and how this will of the Father is a good thing. Let’s listen to His word.
Christians are called to live the life of Christ on Earth and to continue his saving mission in their businesses, in their families, and in their communities. Christ’s mission as he puts it in John 10 is to come to bring us life and in fact and abundant life. How do we implement that in our families, in our businesses, and in our world?
Christianity means that we belong to Christ as members of His body and that means that we extend his mission through our own body, our own space, and time. What is the mission of Christ. One of the reasons He says He came to this world was to seek and to save what is lost. If we are to be faithful to our mission we need to do the same.
Serving others is a bit of a paradox. To some it is an exaggerated title of glory, to others it is the worst of things – being demoted in the eyes of others. What does it mean to serve as a Christian? How did our Lord serve us? If we understand how Christ served us we can find the dignity in serving others.
We all know that Christianity is a religion of peace. We long for that peace and we long to bring that peace to the world. What then could Our Lords have meant when he spoke in Matthew 10:25 of His mission to bring a sword? What does that mean for you and I in our own Christian lives? How is it that our leadership brings both peace and a sword?
We’re looking at the moments when our Lord reveals what His mission is. By seeing His mission we better understand our own. In John 18:33-38, our Lord speaks with Pontius Pilate about His mission.
Everybody wants to be authentic, but are we willing to pay the price? What does authenticity really look like from leadership today? Will people even respect it? In the fourth of our series on the speeches of St. Paul in the Acts of The Apostles, we look at St. Paul’s speech in Jerusalem before the crowd that will eventually imprison him. It is a speech in which he bears witness to the truth of his faith.
To know our mission as leaders we need to understand the mission of Christ. To know Christ’s mission we have no better place to look that sacred scripture where He tells us why He came to this Earth. In this first of our series I look at His proclamation that He came to cast a fire on this Earth.
The secret of every great leader lies in their heart. St. Paul shows us what is in his heart during four great speeches that he gives throughout the Acts of The Apostles. Let’s listen to the speech he gives in front of the Areopagus in Athens and hear more of the heart of this great leader.
There’s no better way to know about a leader than to listen them give their witness. In Acts 26, St. Paul gives the witness of why he does what he does and why he does it the way he does. Let’s listen in and hear the lessons that St. Paul can teach us about our own leadership.
When it comes to leadership, few Apostles could match the leadership of St. Paul. Where do we see that leadership? In his actions, obviously, in his choices, but nowhere more clearly than when he shows his heart in his speeches. I’d like to begin this first of four treatments of the speeches of Paul in Acts of The Apostles – speeches that gives us a window into the heart of his leadership.
If I were to take a poll, most of my listeners would say they want inner peace. Being aligned from the inside to the outside - from your motivations to your actions – it’s truly one of the great keys to success. St. Paul shows us a very special way to find the inner peace and I would like to share that with you today.
Many books have been written about leadership, looking to know what it is. The Bible has its own opinion. For St. Paul, leadership comes from the inside and is destined to changing the inside of those who listen. This idea of leadership is revolutionary for how we conduct ourselves in our own world and sphere of influence.
For many Christians business is a challenge. After all it is about making a profit. It’s driven by coefficients of productivity and therefore moves much more according to justice than to mercy. And yet at the same time business is an essential part of life as is the world of work. How did St. Paul interrelate with the world of business and what does that teach us about our own way of looking at it?
We’ve been looking at St. Paul‘s life and the lessons his life gives us about leadership for some time. But now we need to speak about what’s at the heart of his leadership. The heart of his leadership is Jesus and his relationship with Him.
None of us like conflict. And to be honest a lot of see conflict as a sign of failure. When we read the life of St. Paul, however, we see him constantly in conflict and sometimes in very violent situations. How did he handle it? What is God asking of us?
Anyone involved in sales knows that the customer is always right. If this is the case then why did St. Paul seem to bother his customers so profoundly and irk them so regularly? What was it that St. Paul was proposing that was so earth shattering to his customers?
Leading our families and leading our businesses entails taking our people to places that are new. When we do that conflict almost always ensues. New ideas, new relationships force us to confront old ways of thinking and bring about change. A lot of people don’t like that. St. Paul the apostle also dealt with conflict – and here is how he overcame it.
I don’t think any of us have any doubt that leadership can be lonely. It’s like they say, “It’s lonely at the top.” St. Paul knew this from the inside and at times in his writings even mentions how hard it was for him to be alone. And at the same time St. Paul cultivated friendships and had deep and profound relationships. This becomes a model for us – the lonely, befriended leader.
Nobody doubts that leadership can be lonely at times. And yet even the greatest of leaders had friends. In the story of St. Paul and his leadership in Acts, St. Barnabas plays an essential role. Why would God have wanted St. Paul to have a friend like St. Barnabas? What role does God want our friendships to play in our lives as leaders?
All of us like to lead when we know what we are doing. But when foundations are shaken or assumptions that we hold are questioned, it can be difficult and challenging to persevere in leadership. St. Paul had the same challenge. In today’s talk I would like to examine with you how we can persevere in leadership even in uncertain times.
I’d like to share about the leadership of St. Paul. This man’s incredible passion and drive changed the Church. But like so many great men he had a past. How did Paul deal with what he had done towards God and God’s people? How did his past shape his future? And what can we do when we realize that we too are guilty of doing wrong? How does it affect our leadership?
Leaders are caught between two worlds. On the one hand it seems like our faith wants us to be meek and humble. On the other hand the challenges that we face require us to be courageous and bold. How do we find the balance between these two? St. Peter had to face the same challenges. Let’s see how he met them.
Leaders are those who make a difference. But making a difference requires having a vision. What was the vision inside of St. Peter? What was driving him as he led the Church? Understanding and getting a glimpse into God’s purpose for St. Peter we can better understand the role of vision in our own lives as leaders and how we can capture it.
I think leaders often get a bad name. We are portrayed as people whose vision makes us hard and whose clarity makes us intransient. But a Christian leader is called to be something more. The Acts Of The Apostles show us St. Peter as a leader who is vulnerable, who is emotionally engaged and, therefore, who is even more effective.
Without a doubt St. Peter and St. Paul dominate Church history – their names are as synonymous with Christianity as Our Lord’s own name or that of His Blessed Mother. But how did the two get along and what was their relationship like? If you were a leader how would you lead a church with someone like St. Paul in it? St. Peter gives us an example of a charismatic leadership – humble and empowering.
A lot of people expect leadership to go smoothly and when it doesn’t they think that they have done something wrong. This can of course be true but is it always this way? How do we lead in a suffering and tragic situation? Simon Peter shows us in the Acts of The Apostles - giving us a great example.
Every leader has to face trials. Every leader has to face suffering. Even St. Peter in his leadership in Acts of The Apostles goes through very hard times. What are the secrets that his leadership shows us about how to cope with the sufferings involved?
There are many philosophies about leadership. Some hold that the leader needs to keep themselves at a distance from the people that they lead – that the leader always needs to stay aloof and one step above. Others hold that leadership needs to be an exercise from within a community – almost like a shared charge that’s passed around. What’s the truth? How do we reconcile the need to lead forward and at the same time belong to the people that we serve?
Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. It’s the same with the business leader today. If we look backwards we can sometimes allow our mistakes to overcome and overcloud our vision for the future. Simon Peter obviously had to do the same. How did he deal with his own sinfulness and brokenness? How did he become a leader through it all?
Bruce Lee once famously quipped that in order to win in martial arts you had to be like water. Willing to find any crack, any way and being irresistible in your motion forward. We see the same thing in the life of St. Peter and we see the same thing in the life of every successful business leader. Let’s look at how this applies at our spirituality today.
There are so many reasons for us to be upset today – to be discouraged today – but there are even more reasons for us to be hopeful. And St. Peter, the leader, demonstrates the role of leadership in inspiring and encouraging hope even in the darkest times.
We all know the value of diplomacy. We all know the value of consideration and tolerance. There is also a value in the ability to speak clearly what is on our mind in a persuasive fashion. St. Peter demonstrates this the day of Pentecost and Fr. Nathan wants to look at that with you!
Every leader needs to take initiative. It’s the same for St. Peter and for the apostles of his day. How did St. Peter move the church forward during her darkest times? Let’s take a look at the Acts of The Apostles, Chapter 1 verses 12 and following to find out.
Every leader has a call. Every call has a story. St. Peter was called by Christ to dare great things, but he was called to dare great things because he was loved by Christ and knew it. Discovering Christ’s love for you gives courage and incentive to strike out and follow him on the paths where he leads.
In my work helping cultural and business leaders grow deeper in their faith, I have had the occasion to preach several times on the life of St. Peter. I would like to share some of my thoughts with you now – looking at Peter and asking ourselves what was his leadership style? How did God use and form him to be the rock upon which he built his church?
Without a doubt the Virgin Mary remains one of the central figures that defines the Christian faith. But what does Mary have to say to leaders? In this month of May, dedicated to her, I would like to explore with you some thoughts about Mary and leadership.
One of the hot topics today is that of the priesthood. People think all the time that priests are those who lead Mass, who preach, who distribute the sacraments. But sometimes they forget what the bible teaches – that all of us are priests in Jesus. What does this mean for us who are business leaders? How can we live out our function as priests of Jesus Christ in the world?
One of the great things for the entrepreneur is that of not quitting. But what are we supposed to found our hope on? Why is it that I wouldn’t quit when life is so hard and business often seems prone to failure? The Resurrection shines through and the power of the Christian impels us toward a business optic rooted in optimism.
We all know the value of separating our work life from our private life. But are we always aware of the value that could come by integrating the two? What would change about my personal life if I brought my work and dedication home? What would change about my work life if I integrated the values that I hold as an individual person into it? These questions have immense potential to change the trajectory of our lives.
All of us are engaged in business. What difference does faith make? How is it that my faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings will really impact my life as a professional in this world? Do the two intersect? Pope Francis thinks that they do. I’d like to look at the difference that it makes for someone to know Jesus Christ from the heart.
The very first Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis centered on the theme of evangelization. What does his message have to say to us involved in the secular world in professions that don’t seem directly involved in the life of the evangelizer? How can we be missionary disciples today?
We often emphasize the difficulty of work. Toil, labor, sweat, pain – difficulties in many forms. But we don’t always take the time to emphasize the positive aspects, including work seen in the light of the Resurrection.
Work sometimes seems more like a rat race than anything else. Putting in time everyday, dedicating our labor to things, we wonder what the real point is? Many people even look for purpose outside of their work, saying that their work really is purposeless. I wonder what Christ thinks about that? In today’s talk I want to focus us in on the real meaning of progress – the real point of our work.
We all have to work but not all of know why in the world we should! A lot of young people today prefer to stay in the basements of their parent’s homes rather than get a job. A lot of parents prefer to wait until their child is out of college before getting their first job. What does the church have to say about this? What about God’s wisdom? Let’s take a look and go deeper!
After six days of creation, God rested. What does this mean? How do I balance work and rest? In today’s continuation on our series on the spirituality of work, we look at the importance of rest in the life of the worker.
Rediscovering a Catholic imagination means rediscovering the possibility of seeing things in a new way. How do we view the day to day work that we do? Do we look at it from below according to our perspective or from above according to God’s? In this series on the spirituality of work I want us to learn to look at things through God’s eyes.
Most of us spend most of our time working. And yet most of us have a hard time linking what we do when we work to the most important of tasks – namely, our relationship with God. In this series I want to explore the deep foundations of the work that we do and its link to our spirituality.
Anyone who has ever tried something great knows the threat that comes from anxiety. Fearing something that could be - it’s always around the corner and it’s always there to take our energy away. But what if we were to take that anxiety and use it to further our hope? This is what Christian faith teaches us to do.
The fact is living a Christian life in the world is exhausting. Bringing our best to what God wants us to be in this world today is demanding. How can we respond? Where will we find the energy?
What does a monk have to say to the Catholic worker? What message could a religious have that would be of value to those who work in the world? Today I would like to talk to you about the value of the integrated life and how on this question monks lead the charge.
It is no secret that many people today struggle to see the value of religion. They fail to see the concrete ways that religion shapes our world. I’d like to explore the point that St. John Paul II makes in his letter on the dignity of work - that the difference religion makes is in shaping the person who shapes the world.
For most people, work is something that is drudgery, not something that we necessarily rejoice in. But for a Christian, work is meaningful. How do I find meaning in my work? How do I move from simply doing things every day to finding the passion that God wants me to find?
The fact is most of us spend most of our days at work with a forty hour work week and many exceeding even that. Work takes a place of precedence in our lives. What does this have to do with our spirituality and our life of faith? Fr. Nathan explores that with you in this episode.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ changed the world. The power of his victory conquered darkness, sin, and death. And at the same time it summoned all of us to give our greatness to this greatest of causes – to bring the victory of Christ present to our societies and cultures. In this final presentation of the Gospel’s summons to leadership I’d like to meditate on the power of that resurrection.
All of us in our life will know betrayal. All of us in life will know disappointment by friends. The question is what will we do with that? How can we, engaging in great things, cope with this strike to the heart of being betrayed? Today we are looking at the gospel of St. Mark we’ll see what God has to say and how we can move forward.
Over the past few weeks we’ve been looking at the gospel of St. Mark to see what lessons in leadership can be found there. Chapter 14, our Lord enters into His passion via the Last Supper. There is no better place to understand the role of friendship in the life of Christ than here with his apostles in the upper room.
In our lives as leaders, a lot of times we feel as though difficulty and trial are signs of failure. But in the life of our Lord, His greatest victory on the cross was accompanied by difficulties, trials, and seeming defeats. Let’s find out what the Bible teaches us about the truth of leadership.
The Gospel of Mark presents to us a challenge. To Stay Awake! How do I stay awake in my family life as the leader of my home? How do I stay awake in my role as a leader in the workplace? How do I keep alive the flame of Christ in my efforts to be a leader in today’s world? Let’s listen to Christ’s constant biblical teaching to find the answer.
Leadership is question that is often brought to the fore today. What is it though that makes a true leader? What’s the difference between a leader in Christ and a leader in the world? These questions are taught to us by our Lord in Mark chapters 12 and 13. Listen in as Fr. Nathan preaches on the importance of leading from the inside out.
Many people want to know how we can keep a balance between working in the world and keeping our faith. This is why many people doubt the vocation of the Catholic business leader. Fr. Nathan looks in today’s gospel to how Jesus responds to that question. By cleansing the temple and specifically by giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.
Just what is it that makes a Christian leader special? Listen in as Fr. Nathan speaks to Mark chapters 8 – 10 where he looks at the distinctive characteristic of Christian leadership which is that our leadership leads us through and in the cross to glory.
The generosity of the disciple. Sometimes we feel that God asks us for a lot. Sometimes it feels like God asks us for too much. What’s the point of generosity in our and how can it help us instead of hurt us. In today’s talk, I explore the lesson of generosity that Jesus teaches his disciples in Mark chapter 6.
In this exciting six part series, Fr. Nathan looks at what the Gospel of St. Mark teaches us about leadership and how our Lord formed his disciples to be great leaders. We begin by looking at the Lord’s call that they leave everything behind and follow him as an essential attribute of their leadership.
Have you ever wondered what the Bible has to say about leadership? In the life of St. Joseph we find four amazing lessons. In this talk, I would like to uncover those lessons of leadership from St. Joseph’s own life an the teaching of the Bible.
We know that St. Joseph was not present at the Cross but that doesn’t mean the Cross was not present for St. Joseph. As a matter of fact the Cross is something that each one of us has to carry in order to enter into eternal life. It’s the condition that our Savior laid down for true discipleship. The Cross, present in St. Joseph, speaks to us about how God wants us to lead in the places that He has put us.
The secret of a great leader comes from his strength but where does this strength come from. Today I would like to reflect with you on St. Joseph, this incredible leader and his quiet strength which comes from a surprising source – from the mystery he contemplates. A leader is as strong as the depth of his contemplation.
In the life of every leader there is the thought of doing great things. There is the hope that what we do will really make an impact in the world. We need to also see the importance of the ordinary and that God does his most extraordinary things when the leader is faithful to ordinary circumstances. This is what St. Joseph shows us in his life.
Much has been said today about the need for leaders to be strong. But usually, the way we look at strength is in models that aren’t necessarily successful in every kind of struggle. One hidden kind of strength is the strength that Our Lord and Saint Joseph showed us, resiliency.
Everyone who strives to do something great will encounter difficulty. The question is, "What will we do when we are encountered with a difficulty?" For many, they respond by anger, an outward anger that can sometimes even be violent. True greatness, however, is to be able to channel that anger, like St. Joseph, into effective results.
Making decisions is hard. For some, it's the thing we dread the most. St. Joseph shows us how we can make decisions with the grace of God and what he shows us might surprise us. Making decisions in his own life Joseph had to turn not only to contemplation and thought but also to action. Here are some thoughts that might help you to do the same.
Have you ever felt like leadership is real burden to you? Today’s reflection focuses on what St. Joseph shows us about how anxiety and difficulty actually spur us on to an ownership that allows God to do his great work. How we deal with anxiety and our way of carrying it through helps us to realize that daring something great for Christ is a privilege and an honor. This is the first part of a series of talks that I am going to be giving on St. Joseph, biblical model for modern leaders.
In this first episode of his exciting podcast, Fr. Nathan lays the groundwork for the authentic spirituality of the Catholic leader based upon the victory of Christ in His resurrection. Catholics need to become convinced of their vocation to lead others into victory. With words of inspiration and encouragement, Fr. Nathan will invigorate you for the journey ahead. Listen to the end to hear how Theodore Roosevelt's amazing speech on "The Man In The Arena" ties in with the call of Christ to Dare Great Things.
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