Pope Francis as Servant Leader

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.  

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.

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.  

Pope Francis and Servant Leadership

This has been an exciting week for Catholics around the world as they waited to learn who the new Pope would be.
The selection of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, a man considered by some as "too old" to become Pope, was a bold step.   The new Pope is a man known for his commitment to servant leadership who has led a life full of challenges and in keeping with humility and modesty.   In his life he has already demonstrated servant leadership for many years.
In less than two days, he has shown what he will do.  Wearing only the white cassock, not the elaborate cape of the Pope, wearing ordinary shoes, paying his own hotel bill, and riding in a mini bus rather than in a limousine were small notes.  Today for the meeting with cardinals, he asked them to wear their black cassocks, not the more elaborate red cassocks of cardinals.
These are all symbolic acts, but symbolism sometimes tells us more about a leader than do words.  

A corporate CEO who tells his employees that there  will be cutbacks and lives a lavish jet set life style gives a strong message.  A non-profit CEO who asks for our funds and takes a huge salary himself also sends a message.

Pope Francis is sending a message that he will pursue a path of humility.   At the same time, in our age, we have to remember that security needs may require him to have more isolation than he may want.  Pope Francis may have to acquiesce to the limousine or popemobile for security against his own preferences.  Such is the tragedy of modern life.

Knowing when it is time....

An important point for leaders  is to know when it is time to leave... Often the perks of a position make it too attractive to stay even beyond one's effectiveness.


This morning the world heard that Pope Benedict XVI plans to resign at the end of the February (18 days from now).   As Cardinal Ratzinger he observed the long, slow decline of Pope John Paul II.   I believe that a couple of years ago he indicated that he was open to resignation if he could not continue at full strength (I don't have the exact information).  
Now he has taken a bold step:  the first Pope in 600 years to resign.  It is a courageous step.  It is a rational step by a man who has devoted his life to careful, rational thinking.   I applaud his courage...

Would that many political leaders would have similar courage!

The Leadership Persona: Image or Illusion?

Do you ever see someone who looks like a leader and who talks like a leader?  I do.   Recently I have been reflecting on what I call "the leadership persona."    This can be defined as the public face of the leader.   But, do we look beyond the public face?
Often what we find is that the image is only an illusion.   One can cultivate  leadership dignity and a careful way of speaking and thus project an image of leadership.  

As I thought about some positional leaders, I wanted to probe more deeply in their persona. In some cases, there is very little below the surface.  The surface has been carefully cultivated and groomed to project "perfection."  It is a performance that has become part of the person's very self.

But, as one goes more deeply, one finds there is almost nothing of the deliberative, thoughtful leader below the surface.  There is caution, yes, but also uncertainty rather than decisiveness.

So much attention has been placed on creating the outer leader image that there is little of substantive leadership below the surface.

As a classic movie buff, one of my favorites is Cary Grant.  Grant never won an Academy Award for a single performance although he may have won some sort of lifetime achievement award.   But, he deserved an Academy Award for his greatest performance, that of the creation of Cary Grant.   Grant focused very much on creating that public persona.  Sometimes when filming he would respond to a request thus: Cary Grant would not do that.  Grant had a firm image of the persona he had created and how that persona would react and behave.

So too does the illusory leader.  That individual knows how he or she should respond as a leader and follows that formula.  
As we examine leadership we should become aware of what is illusion and what is real leadership.

Role of the Secretary of State: Leadership or Execution

Today, February 1, 2013, is Secretary Hillary Clinton's last day as Secretary of State.   The debate on her impact is puzzling.   The crux of the matter is whether she has a "great achievement" and whether she will have a lasting impact.

When is the last time that a Secretary of State operated independently of the President?   The Secretary of State implements foreign policy designed by an administration.  Clinton has done this with grace and great energy.

I don't recall a similar debate about other recent Secretaries of State.  

Are our expectations higher for HRC as a leader than for others?  Are we in fact measuring whether she is ready to be the presidential candidate in 2016?

I do not recall a similar discussion about Powell, Rice, Albright, or other recent Secretaries.   Even with some of the giants like Kissinger and Dulles, we have reason to believe that they were skillful in executing the policies of their respective presidents, most if not all of the time.

The Secretary of State is a leader in terms of leading the public dialogue and heading the Department of State.  The Secretary of State is not an independent foreign policy initiator.