Lessons in Leadership From the Saints
Called to Holiness, Called to Lead
by
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The saints are usually not the first to come to mind when thinking of leadership figures but the saints actually exuded some of the best leadership models we will ever find.
The saints, as we already know, were inspirational. Who wouldn’t be moved by Saint Paul’s tireless dedication to spreading the Gospel? Who wouldn’t be moved by Mother Teresa’s compassion for every homeless person she encountered in the streets of Calcutta? Who wouldn’t be moved by the humbleness of Saint Francis? Or by the grit of Saint Ignatius? Or by the courageousness of Saint Joan of Arc? Or by the insightful spirituality of Saint Therese of Lisieux? Their own personal ways of responding to the call to holiness are undeniably just truly amazing. But as we look to the saints for inspiration on how to live a truly Christian life, what we will also find are some true and authentic leadership examples that we can use today. For many of us looking for leadership examples, we don’t need to look any further. The saints have, all this time, been there waiting to demonstrate, through their lives and their stories, what true leadership is. We just have to grab the chance to get to know them. Leaders like them just don’t come around too often! And today we have a desperate need for the kinds of leadership qualities that they exuded. So let me invite you to join me on this journey as I revisit the lives of the saints to get a glimpse of how leadership should be.
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About the Book
The call to lead and the call to holiness are profoundly intertwined. But in our world today, what does it even mean to be a leader? What does it even mean to be holy?
Using the timeless and transcendent wisdom of the saints and the latest findings in business and social science, this book takes an insightful examination of the leadership principles demonstrated in the lives of the saints and their applicability to our modern everyday lives. Faced with challenges where their faith and even their lives hung in the balance, the saints’ responses exemplify what are authentic, effective, and inspirational models of leadership that we can use to guide us to our eternal destination.
Echoing the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, “Come along, I’ll show you how.” Let us call on Francis, Dominic, Ignatius, Francis Xavier, Therese of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, Maximilian Kolbe, Padre Pio, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, and countless others who have gone before us to be our companions and guides, illuminating the path for us as we step up to lead and move forward to journey towards Christ.
About the Author
BJ Gonzalvo, Ph.D., is a psychologist focused on researching leadership and organizational science through the lens of faith and spirituality, grounding his work in the models provided by the timeless and transcendent wisdom of the Saints of the Catholic Church. "There is something refreshing, profound, and extraordinary about the models of the Saints--something fundamentally human and at the same time heavenly; something very holy and set apart and yet very accessible. Something very GOOD."