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IGNATIAN  ASSIGNMENT-2008

Ignatian Leadership

 

Amidst the numerous Ignatian aspects, the one which has inspired me the most is the leadership of St. Ignatius. His leadership is outstanding. After becoming a leader himself, his leadership does not sink in himself, but it creates numerous leaders all around the world which is absolutely marvelous. It is hard to become a leader, but is much harder to create a leader and this is what I myself experienced as I have been taking part in one of the seminars conducted by the lay organization. And that is what inspires me to reflect upon the Leadership of St. Ignatius.

 

Under the guidance of God Ignatius becomes an outstanding leader. There is responsibility, there is commitment, there is companionship, there is relationship, there is integrity in his leadership and above all there is love of God which he experiences in his early life. Ignatius fosters leadership quality at the age of around 26.

The Ignatius style of leadership and ministry essentially consists not of a set of doctrines or rules, but rather involves principles that foster an integrated way of living.

 

Historical Expression

A succinct expression of the Ignatian leadership uses historical language from the early history of the Jesuits. Jerome Nadal, was entrusted by St. Ignatius of Loyola with the task of communicating and engendering Ignatian ideals to Jesuits throughout the world. Everywhere Nadal went, he consistently employed the catch phrase nuestro de proceder or “our way of proceeding” in referring to the Ignatian style of leadership and ministry.

 

[1]Ignatius had a natural genius for loyalty strengthened by the tradition of his race and family and enlivened by a staunch faith.

Ignatius was a born leader who could rally his followers around him and command their loyalty and respect. At the battle of Pamplona we see him using his persuasive powers to encourage his fellow soldiers to keep up the defense of the fortress and firmly resist the attack. His fellow officers, who were convinced that the situation was hopeless and the odds were heavy against them, then drew inspiration and courage from Ignatius.

Inigo was a leader by natural charism, ‘a mover of men’ who had no need to command to be listened to: one followed him more than obeyed him. His leadership qualities stood him in a good stead in gathering a team of students in Paris.

He magnetized, he radiated, he was the strongest. To those companions who accepted sharing his dream or his fight, he attached himself indissolubly: he stimulated them and helped to achieve, like himself, the height of their potentialities; in return, they became for him being who were almost sacred. He was faithful to them as to himself; which is saying not a little.

 

[2]The Jesuit approach examines leadership through a very different prism, and refracted through that prism, leadership emerges in very different light. Four differences stand out:

• We’re all leaders, and we’re all leading all the time, well or poorly.
• Leadership springs from within. It’s about who I am as much as what I do.
• Leadership is not an act. It is my life, a way of living.
• I never complete the task of becoming a leader. It’s an ongoing process.

 

1. We are all leaders and we’re all leading all the time:-

Ignatius makes sure that every member of his society has leadership quality. He wants every Jesuit to lead in the way he leads people. The foundation put by St. Ignatius is so firm that every Jesuit acquires leadership quality and leading all the time. Our leadership is founded by Ignatius in God.

Ignatius leads the group of soldiers, he leads the group of students in the college and later on he leads the society founded by him in God.

Everyone is a leader and everyone is leading all the time, sometimes in immediate, dramatic and obvious ways, more often in subtle, hard to measure ways, but leading nonetheless.

The Jesuit model explodes the “one great men” model for the simple reason that everyone has influence, and everyone projects influence-good or bad, large or small-all the time. The leader seizes all of the available opportunities to influence and make impact. Circumstances will present a few people with world-changing, defining-moment opportunities; most will enjoy no such big time opportunities in their lifetime. Still, leadership is defined not by the scale of the opportunities but by the quality of the response. One cannot control all of one’s circumstances, only one’s response to those circumstances.

 

2. Leadership springs from within:-

(It’s about who I am as much as what I do)

            Anything which begins from within lives, anything which does not begin from within dies.

Ignatius approach focuses on who leaders are than what leaders do. One becomes leader by experience, by playing in the court just as he himself does.

            Ignatius leadership springs from within. Of course he is fond of reading books on gallantry, but more than that he acquires knowledge from life itself which makes him what he wants. He has a vision and he communicates that vision through his life. He is committed to his vision and mission. He takes full responsibility on himself. He loves his people and his mission. What springs from within makes the difference between talking the walk and walking the talk.

 

3. Leadership is not an act, it’s a way of living:-

Leadership is not a job to be left at work when one comes home to relax and enjoy the life. It does not consist of putting on a set of values or conduct when one is ‘on duty’ and putting on a different set when one is ‘off duty’- like a lab coat or a construction hat. Because it is a way of valuing and thinking that springs from deep within, there is no sure checklist of things to do. Rather it is an inner compass from which to discern one’s action. Do I wake up in the morning with this attitude?  Ignatius and his companions live the leadership in their time. Now it is our duty to keep that leadership living, which is entrusted to us by Ignatius and his companions.

 

4. Becoming a leader is an ongoing process:-

Becoming a leader is an ongoing process of self-development. Leadership is a never ending work in process that draws on continually maturing self-understanding. Environment change, people change, priorities shift. This changes call for continual adjustment and recommitment. No one becomes a leader by accident. Strong leaders welcome the opportunity to learn about oneself and the world and looks forward to new discoveries and interests. A leader is essentially a pilgrim, not one who has arrived at some idealized state of perfection.

 

The Jesuit team of Ignatius does not tell us much we don’t already know about what leaders do. Nor do they teach us anything about what leaders achieve. But it has a lot to say about who leaders are, and how leaders live, and how they become leaders in the first place.

 

[3]Igntius and his first companions understood the importance of reaching out to the people on the frontiers and at centre of the society, of reconciling those who were estranged in any way. From the center in Rome, Ignatius sent Jesuits to frontiers, to the new world, “to announce the Lord to the people and cultures that did not know him as yet.” He sent Xavier to the Indies. Thousands of Jesuits followed, preaching the Gospel to many cultures, sharing knowledge with and learning from others. He also wanted Jesuits to cross other types of frontiers between rich and poor, between educated and unlearned. He wrote a letter to the Jesuits as the council of Trent on how to behave and insisted that they should minister to the sick. Jesuits opened colleges in Rome ad in the great cities of Europe, and they taught children in villages across the world.

 

[4]Our administration will be more effective, flexible, participative and prophetic. We have several efficient administrators but few of them seem to be effective. Ignatian leadership is mainly charismatic and prophetic. It is participative and conclusive, though not democratic. It is more dynamic than static, more flexible than rigid, more qualitative than quantitative.

 

The GC also asks us to identify potential leaders and to place them with effective and wise leaders for mentoring. But the important thing is not so much attending courses and acquiring skills, it is rather forming our attitudes and changing our approaches toward our collaborators and co-workers. Being a Jesuit does not make me a person who knows everything, or who has all the power. It should make me accepting, appreciative, and help me to positively encourage others’ participation in the administration and delegate responsibilities. Then it will bear fruit.