Vatican lessons in leadership

The widespread disrepute the Vatican-based Roman Catholic Church has suffered because of child abuse by ordained priests, has created a crisis within the pioneer and oldest Christian church with an estimated 2 billion followers in faith around the world.

Informed opinion is almost unanimous that the church’s major problem is a leadership challenge. The issues that the recently (March) anointed Pope Francis — elected to highest office in Christendom after his predecessor Pope Benedict, exhausted by the demands of the papacy, became the first ever Pope to resign  — faces are complex, emotional, global and cut across tradition and faith. Constituent churches and congregations are crying out for simple solutions and decisions, but none seem to be emanating from the Vatican. The new Pope has said nothing about women priests, birth control, gay marriages or child sex abuse and various other crises confronting the church.

Yet, those of us who lead, teach, coach, mentor, manage, parent and work with students and athletes, have recently been set a great and edifying example for influencing the next generation of youth, by the actions of the new leader of the Church of Rome,  Pope Francis.

On his first day as pontiff, he didn’t sleep late, when the entire world would have forgiven him for doing so. After all, he had just landed the biggest job of his life. Despite this, he woke early to pray for 30 minutes. He knew he needed God’s guidance and support. Then, as he led mass that day for the cardinals, he gave an off-the-cuff homily on the need to walk with God, instead of delivering a formal sermon full of rhetoric. While in the Sistine Chapel, he declined to sit in the papal chair, a sort of throne for the one elected to the office of St. Peter, preferring to stand instead. And then before greeting anyone, he walked to the back of the room to greet a cardinal who was confined to a wheelchair. He wanted to meet everyone on their level.

After blessing the hundreds who had gathered to felicitate him, he didn’t use his private car (a luxury limousine with the license plate Vatican City 1), and returned to the dormitory where he lived before he was elected Pope. “I’ll take the bus since that’s the way I came here,” he said. He retrieved his belongings from his dorm, and stopped by the front desk to pay his bill. (Yes, you read that right). After climbing into the bus, he asked it to stop several times along the drive to greet and bless well-wishers.

What a wonderfully humble, genuine and fresh way of assuming the highest ecclesiastical office in the world! When asked why he did these things, he simply said: “I want to be sure to set a positive example!”

Some might argue that he hasn’t done much, if anything, yet. I disagree. He has led by example. He has established himself as leader of his flock, and in so doing has redefined the office of the Pope.

People who aspire to be leaders — whatever their vocation – would do well to reflect upon what Pope Francis has already achieved and how he has started his reign as pontiff of the world’s largest religious community.

• He is authentic. By the manner in which he assumed office, he revealed much about himself and how he would officiate. He didn’t change overnight because he had been elected to the highest papal office. Aspiring leaders would do well to note that people are drawn to such authentic leaders. We admire them, depend on them, and wonder what mysterious quality attracts us to them. Yet their secret — and this certainly seems to be true of Pope Francis — is easy to discover: They are clear about who they are.

• He has sent a message of positive change. Everything the new Pope has done and said so far has sent a message of hope and transformation. From the simple mass he conducted, to the unostentatious robes he wore, he sent out a message of simplicity, change and hope.

• He has exhibited humility. When Pope Francis jumped out of the Popemobile to kiss a severely handicapped man, everyone knew this was a man of the people. The global congregation of the Church of Rome can be sure he will heed the voice of the people.

The demands of leadership confront us daily. our communities face all types of challenges as political, religious, and business leaders are repeatedly charged with violations of ethical norms, and the world’s multiplying problems demand our attention. The youth of today and each one of us, need to turn our energy and intelligence into actions to become responsible citizens of the world. We need to assume leadership roles modestly and accept the challenge to build a bright and sustainable future for the world’s youth.

For doing so much in the brief time since he assumed office, Pope Francis has reminded us of the power of positive example, and of the profound possibilities which flow from genuine humility and from leaders reaching out to connect with the new generation of youth.

(Dr. George A. Selleck is a San Francisco-based advisor to EduSports, Bangalore)