We all read a great deal about servant leadership as part of our work on servant leadership. But, it is rare to observe it.
In the life of Padre Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, servant leadership comes alive. I recently read one of the new biographies (the one by Andrea Tornielli, an Italian journalist).
In his life, there are so many examples of servant leadership: his simplicity, his personal outreach to many, and his refusal to compromise his beliefs and principles. A man of great integrity and knowledge, Padre Jorge has lived fully a life as a follower of Jesus. Bergoglio's life in Argentina was never easy, but it claimed his full dedication to the work of the Lord.
Attempts to demean his work in Argentina were politically inspired, since prominent political leaders did not appreciate his opposition to their policies and acts of suppression.
As apparent from his homilies since becoming Pope, he is a man of relatively few words. I appreciate his pithy homilies which are more memorable than a lengthy exegesis might be. A scholar and author, he appreciates the value of words, but uses them sparingly, even quoting St. Francis about preaching the Gospel and when necessary, using words. Padre Bergoglio has preached by action and example, as well as words. Recognition of his direct approach to the Gospel is the reason that he has evoked quiet enthusiasm among Christian observers, both Catholic and those from other denominations.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The "cost" of commuting
In the present era many of us work at remote sites from from the workplace, but are connected by computer, e-mail, phone, fax, skype, and so on.
More and more people now work at home or at locations far from the work site. There is a temptation of course, many say, to "goof off" more than in the structured workplace or to wear pajamas all day, but in the long run, perhaps one gets more done. It may depend on the discipline of the individual.
For me, there is no danger of lounging in pjs all day. I have always been a person who gets dressed immediately in the am. I don't even go to breakfast in a robe except for a rare occasion when I have a dress-up event early in the day and want to avoid soiling a fancy outfit. And yes, I do some tasks during the day like laundry but these normally take less time than a coffee break.
On the other hand, now that I am semi-retired, I rarely go to the office except for class or special meetings. The other day I had to go to the office to observe a class. On the whole it took 3.5 hours. I left at 9:30, the latest one can leave and hope to get a parking space. I had some time in the office, and reviewed the class, then picked up my coat and supplies and drove home. Lapsed time was 3.5 hours. An entire morning plus most of the noon hour taken up to observe a one hour class.
A lot of time on the road -- About 1 hour roundtrip in the non-rush hour. Plus the physical toll that a long drive in traffic takes cannot be understated.
I am becoming an enthusiast of working at a distance when possible. I hold numerous conferences with colleagues and students from a distance and found them useful and productive. Since my graduate students are working adults, most of our consultations occur while they are at their workplace and I am working at home. It is efficient for them and for me. If they have to come to meet me in the office, most of them also have an hour roundtrip commute and lose an hour out of their workdays.
It is a win-win situation for us both to consult at a distance.
Efficient and less costly in terms of time and effort.
More and more people now work at home or at locations far from the work site. There is a temptation of course, many say, to "goof off" more than in the structured workplace or to wear pajamas all day, but in the long run, perhaps one gets more done. It may depend on the discipline of the individual.
For me, there is no danger of lounging in pjs all day. I have always been a person who gets dressed immediately in the am. I don't even go to breakfast in a robe except for a rare occasion when I have a dress-up event early in the day and want to avoid soiling a fancy outfit. And yes, I do some tasks during the day like laundry but these normally take less time than a coffee break.
On the other hand, now that I am semi-retired, I rarely go to the office except for class or special meetings. The other day I had to go to the office to observe a class. On the whole it took 3.5 hours. I left at 9:30, the latest one can leave and hope to get a parking space. I had some time in the office, and reviewed the class, then picked up my coat and supplies and drove home. Lapsed time was 3.5 hours. An entire morning plus most of the noon hour taken up to observe a one hour class.
A lot of time on the road -- About 1 hour roundtrip in the non-rush hour. Plus the physical toll that a long drive in traffic takes cannot be understated.
I am becoming an enthusiast of working at a distance when possible. I hold numerous conferences with colleagues and students from a distance and found them useful and productive. Since my graduate students are working adults, most of our consultations occur while they are at their workplace and I am working at home. It is efficient for them and for me. If they have to come to meet me in the office, most of them also have an hour roundtrip commute and lose an hour out of their workdays.
It is a win-win situation for us both to consult at a distance.
Efficient and less costly in terms of time and effort.
Monday, April 8, 2013
The Death of A Great Leader
As someone who studies leadership, I use the term great leader sparingly. There are a lot of wannabe great leaders, but few truly great leaders. Margaret Thatcher was a great leader. Her death today brings to the end the life of the first female prime minister of a major western country. I did not always agree with either her policies or her leadership style. But, she was determined and uncompromising. She was often called "the iron lady," which was both a tribute to her determination and a slur against women leaders. Men are rarely if ever called "an iron leader." Stalin cultivated the notion of being the man of steel, but few male leaders are compared to metal.
At the present time, Angela Merkel is sometimes called "the iron frau." When a woman leader is determined, she is likely to be labeled in some way that can have a double meaning.
If Hillary Clinton ever becomes president, I suspect she too will be labeled with some variant of "the iron lady."
Margaret was a path breaker. The Iron Lady, the film about her life that came out in the last couple of years did little to tell the story of the real Margaret Thatcher. It had selected flashbacks from a frail elderly lady who appeared to suffer from dementia. Some events were highlighted but the film, despite Meryl's fabulous acting, gave us a distorted view of Margaret Thatcher in power. It was a powerful film on dementia, but not a true political statement of her contributions.
Farewell, Margaret, and rest in peace.
At the present time, Angela Merkel is sometimes called "the iron frau." When a woman leader is determined, she is likely to be labeled in some way that can have a double meaning.
If Hillary Clinton ever becomes president, I suspect she too will be labeled with some variant of "the iron lady."
Margaret was a path breaker. The Iron Lady, the film about her life that came out in the last couple of years did little to tell the story of the real Margaret Thatcher. It had selected flashbacks from a frail elderly lady who appeared to suffer from dementia. Some events were highlighted but the film, despite Meryl's fabulous acting, gave us a distorted view of Margaret Thatcher in power. It was a powerful film on dementia, but not a true political statement of her contributions.
Farewell, Margaret, and rest in peace.
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