Dare Great Things For Christ

Like it or not being in a position of leadership means being at the forefront of change.  In many ways this can be intimidating, but if we look at it from a point of view of faith and a call from God the prospects given to us by leadership are exhilarating.  We can stand for and do amazing things, things that other people only dream of doing.  In many ways being a leader calls on us to be like John the Baptist – a prophet, standing in the wilderness, making a bold proclamation, and allowing our own voices to echo the Word.

Amongst all the history of great leaders inspired by faith surely St. John the Baptist is at the top of the list.  Not only was his life recorded in sacred scripture as an example to us all but his leadership provides an amazing model for all of us who seek to serve God by the power and influence He has given us.  In this first of our series treating the bold leadership of John the Baptist we look at his life and background and begin to understand the significance of his powerful preaching.

Prayer is to the soul what breathing is to the body, therefore, prayer is essential to everybody.  But even more so to those who will lead, who play a position that comes to them from God in our world.  Without a doubt each of us has their own way to pray and express their hearts to God, but the Catholic tradition holds many devotions which can help us to find discipline and regularity in our prayer.  One of these is the Breastplate of St. Patrick. – an excellent prayer to say at the beginning of each workday.

At its essence leadership is a question of vision and vision at its heart is a matter of creativity.   Although not always comfortable being in charge of an operations means finding an answer no matter what.  Great leaders do this in extraordinary ways.  But getting to the heart of how to innovate and find new answers means getting to the heart of the human person and their freedom and this is why it’s important to talk about the power of grace to create new ideas and innovation.  This is part 4 of our series on Leaders In A Broken World.

Accepting to lead in the footsteps of Christ means extending the power of His salvific redemption into our world through our work.  In brief this means bringing healing bringing peace and doing good in a world that needs it.  Seeing our work in this light makes our occupations a mission and makes our duties and instrument of God’s peace.  One way we do that is by helping the people around us to grow and develop.  Today is our third in our series, “Leaders In A Broken World.”

Leadership is not done in a vacuum.  In fact the cultural situation we find ourselves in often influences the decisions we have to make.  This is why it is so important for Christian leaders to always remember the importance of their role as leaders in a world that is marked by sin.  In today’s episode, the second of our series of Leaders In A Broken World we develop the importance of Christian leadership for providing true unity and creating true harmony for the betterment of all.

Trying to improve our leadership requires a lot from us.  It requires study and thought and development of our skills.  But sometimes in the midst of all that we can forget why we’re called to lead in the first place.  What’s God’s plan for our leadership?  Why would he call us to do what we’re doing anyway?  Certainly there are many great answers to these questions but none strike as profoundly as seeing our work as an extension of the work of Christ himself; an extension of the power of the cross, an extension of salvation for a broke world.

When we are in a position of leadership law can sometimes seem cumbersome.  And as Christian leaders we’ve developed our sense of autonomy and freedom and love to the point where many of us wonder why do we need rules in the church at all?  Sometimes it can be tempting to say, “those in charge make the rules” and that’s why the life of our Lord can be disconcerting.  Because he followed the law.  In this final part of our examination of Aquinas’ teaching on the life of our Lord, we draw valuable insights from the example of Christ for our lives as leaders today.

The Christian tradition has always recommended that a minister of the gospel live a life of material simplicity.  Such a life would guarantee the virtues necessary for proclaiming the gospel in purity.  But what does the Church have to say for those engaged in the public sphere of commerce?  If a business leader tries to evangelize with their business or in the context of their leadership are they obliged to embrace poverty?  What role does poverty play in the life of a non ordained Christian leader today?  Let’s continue our study and find out.

When we assume a role of leadership we set ourselves apart from the people that we lead.  By definition the leader is at the top or first in line.  And leaders in general play positions in society where power is a part of their lives.  But what do we do as Christians?  Shouldn’t we be the same as every other Christian?  And what if our position of leadership brings us a little too close to the world and its way of thinking and acting?  What did our Lord do?  How did He live?