01.16.2020
What Are the Challenges of Leadership?
After a day spent reflecting on how the Spirit calls us, today our attention moved to what it means to be a leader in the 21st century. S. Philo greeted us at the beginning of the day and gave some background on how “Leaders as Leaven – India” began. S. Barbara Bozak then gave the assembly an idea of how this leadership development program is organized and what the results have been. It is a year-long program, grounded in the understanding that leadership is about listening to others, accepting the wisdom of others and inspiring them to become the person God wants them to be. It was clear that the program was successful, with the sisters growing in self-knowledge, courage to use their voice and better able to interact with their colleagues and community members.
At the end of the morning the group was asked to reflect on what they wanted to remember from what they had heard and what is really important for them in their leadership. After sharing the fruit of their reflection with one other person, they came back to hear S. Sally give input on participative governance. She insisted on the importance of engaging all the sisters in decisions that will impact their lives, recognizing that the Spirit speaks through all. Communication and mutual exchange are equally or more important for provincial and regional councils.
S. Sally continued with this topic in the afternoon, describing leadership as an organic process, one that requires continual growth and development. She noted the importance for leaders to be able to develop and maintain relationships, to listen, influence and inspire trust, to grow and develop as a team, with each one learning from her experience and sharing her wisdom. With these and other words she challenged the leadership teams to become visionaries and work with the sisters to achieve this vision.
The afternoon concluded with the provincials gathered in one space, the councilors in another, each group sharing their experience and their wisdom.
