Pope Francis last week said that someone had told him that he ‘speaks too much about prayer’ and that it was unnecessary.
The Pope continued:
“However, he said, it is necessary, because if we do not pray, we will not have the strength to go forward in life. Prayer is like the oxygen of life; prayer draws upon us the Holy Spirit who always carries us forward. That is why I speak so much about prayer.”
Last week I celebrated Mass with all of our school principals. As I looked around, I was reminded of the great responsibilities that these men and women have as leaders of school communities.
Leadership is not easy. It certainly is not about being ‘The Boss’.
A good leader:
Needs to be a good listener.
To be a person striving for an ever-deeper integrity.
A person who facilitates unity, harmony and understanding.
Is ever respectful
Is about the greater good.
Is about the greater truth.
Takes good advice from one than one person.
Acts with impartiality.
Stays true to commitments.
Learns from mistakes.
Is not afraid to say sorry.
Knows that they do not know it all.
No wonder Pope Francis needs to pray! No wonder that he is reminding us all about the importance of prayer.
Leadership requires wisdom and discernment. Prayer is about ‘oxygen’, ‘energy’. It is also certainly about relationships; every leader question themselves; no-one knows all the answers. No good leader will venture to be a leader without a realistic good dose of humility.
It is God’s grace that acts through a leader that brings about good fruit.
Of course, we are all called to be leaders in many ways. Every Baptised and Confirmed person is called to leadership.
We can all continue to grow and learn; and prayer is certainly essential!
