September 26, 2014

Leading with Humility Pope Francis

"Smell like your sheep!"

Pope Francis writes of himself as a young man
that he was sometimes hard headed, rash and not always thoughtful about others and their short comings. He could easily anger and alienate others, but he learned by the hard lessons of experience not only about others, but most importantly about himself. He thus worked to mature himself and to correct his natural deficiencies. A deep and abiding faith led him forth.
A mature man emerged with greater kindness, strength, foresight, humility and grace. Lead with Humility, is his story. The book authored by Jeffrey Krames, more often a business management writer, is the result of the impression the Pope leaves him with. Krames writes about the 12 points of this Pontiff that he thinks are most critical:

* Lead with humility-- Never presume that you are better than any one else. We all have our skills and individual talents. They aren't better or worse, just different.

* Smell like your flock-- The good shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him; they recognize and care for one another.

* Who am I to Judge? -- Be we nothing more than humble. Judge not, lest you be judged for great is your god in heaven, and great is his kingdom upon earth.

* Don't Change--Reinvent-- As the Spiritual leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics, the Pontiff recognizes the slow and lumbering difficulties in turning this great ship of state. Thus he comes to the task with his own complete and full understanding of the complex modern world and the need to freshen up the teachings to address modern concerns today.

* Make inclusion a Priority-- All are One in Creation, all the body of Christ. Don't forget the Church. She is world-wide, both local and universal. All come to the table to be fed whether they look like you or not.

* Avoid insularity -- Remember the Beatitudes, happy are those who... and it is the poor in spirit, who in coming to faith will inherit the earth, this the Bible instructs.

* Choose pragmatism over ideology-- The Pope, as the spiritual leader of the Church, leads and must lead forth into the modern world. His influence both in the universal church and the local church is considerable; communities everywhere take notice those cues coming from Rome.

* Employ the optics of decision making-- With a worldwide organization whose "citizenry" equals or tops nearly all the individual countries of the world, the Pontiff with the advice of his bishops hailing from every nation and his core team at the Vatican State, he must consider and rule in favor of justice to all. A 'one size' policy is not necessarily equitable nor just to the peoples of the world. Consider the many political systems in which the Church operates, plan accordingly.

*Run your organization like a field hospital-- There are those who consider churches the realm of the pious, the intolerant, the hypocrite. Jesus the Christ knew well. He wrote of them in the Bible and warned against them. The Pontiff drives home the message that churches are more like refuges for the 'walking wounded,' those whose daily life is a struggle, field hospitals for the wrong-doers.

* Live on the frontier--
When we become complacent with a feeling of ease, we fall into a slumber in which we fail to observe the simple, everyday needs of others. The Bible exhorts the faithful to always be on guard, to be aware to the needs of others, that we should assist to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and care for the sick and destitute of the world so that they may gain a measure of their god-given dignity.

* Confront adversity head-on-- Remember Jesus the Christ who did not shy away. Faithful to his tasks, the Christ bore up to them, even unto the Cross of his own Crucifixion.

* Pay attention to non-customers--
There are many minds in the world and many who have not known the tender mercies of the Christ, nor the working of the Holy Spirit come upon them. Be gentle with those whose understanding is not your own. Be the Christ for them. Show the unfamiliar, the strangers among us the way. Remember the Christ comes in many disguises. He may not be immediately recognizable to you.

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