“What makes a good leader?”
The first series of videos we are presenting today is from a CNN special looking to answer that question. It is one that all Christians should know the answer to. We are called to be leaders in our society.
Reporter Fareed Zakaria interviews people from various secular professions such as universities, congress, military, business and offers a variety of perspectives on leadership.
Here, of course, we aren’t talking about Christian leadership.
The documentary offers basic principles that we can use or criticize when approaching the subject. A good question to ask would be: “Which principles mentioned could be used to describe Jesus as a leader and which ones couldn’t?”
CNN Video Series “What Makes A Good Leader?”
The next video is a TED talk given by an orchestra composer, Itay Talman, which I found to be very well done and very entertaining. He takes as examples several orchestra conductors, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. Again, take a moment to reflect on which characteristics we can use in Christian leadership.
The next video lists twenty-two qualities that leaders should possess. Which ones do you agree with? Which ones do you think may be important in the business world, but not as important for the Church?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb9Mc9vqcFg
Deeper Reflection
- What leadership qualities did Jesus demonstrate?
- How was His leadership style radical for the time in which He lived?
- What can we learn from studying the leadership of Jesus?
“As the flames of your first enthusiasm die down, it becomes difficult to advance in the dark. —But that progress is all the more reliable for being hard. And then, when you least expect it, the darkness vanishes, and the enthusiasm and light return. Persevere!” – St.Josemaria Escriva
