Leadership and Jesuits

I never really considered myself a leader. I knew that if I need to be in charge of a group of people I could manage but when I think of the word leader I am the furthest example from my mind. So when Chris Lowney told us all to ask each other who we considered a leader and why, I immediately thought of teachers because teachers help people advance in life while helping them to transform into better people just like a leader. After a few minutes he stopped the discussion and asked if anybody mentioned themselves. I thought that’s an absurd question who would mention themselves unless they were really arrogant. He continued by saying everybody expects somebody else to be a leader and that is the main reason why there is a small number of leaders in the world. He concluded his introductory by stating anybody can be a great leader if they know how to become a good leader.

The former Jesuit priest and author of Heroic Leadership said the most important rule of being a leader is to love the people who you are leading. Lowney then mentioned there are four steps to being a great leader and these steps. The first step is know yourself, the second ingenuity and willingness to adapt, the third heroism and finally love. These steps are hard for most adults to master and many have failed but I know that if I try to follow and live my life through these steps I will be able to become a great leader.

Another great point that Lowney made was people who are agile and have faced failure are the best leaders. They know how to bounce back, adapt and conform to a quick change without panicking. In the excerpt from Peter- Ham Kolvenbach’s book he shows that students at Jesuit universities are very multi- dimensional and agile because of the core. Lowney talks about community and group settings as the back bone of a successful leader. Even though part of being a good leader deals with self awareness the people who support and work with you are just as important to the leader. I agreed with Lowney when he mentioned that good teams deal with people who realize it’s not all about me. Putting aside self opinions, bias and beliefs and putting the people first is the reason why some groups/ leaders are more successful than others. I think the Jesuits do a great example of this type of leadership. Jesuits are known for not pushing their religion and beliefs onto people but rather caring about the well being of others.

I was not expecting this lecture to have such a big impact on me. Since attending this lecture I have been inspired to be a leader and work for the well being of others like the Jesuits. At the beginning I didn’t understand the significance of Year of the City but now I understand that the Year of the City has a deep root with the Jesuit beliefs. The Year of the City allows students to follow in the steps of the Jesuits and help the community of Baltimore. This lecture showed me that leadership is not only important in my future but also right now at Loyola; by becoming a leader at Loyola and following the Jesuits example I will be able to learn, reach out and help others as I grow and move on to bigger and better things outside of Loyola.