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2/3 Ignatian Leadership

NOTES ON LEADERSHIP (Contextualizing the Framework of Leadership Study)
Fr. Kim Lachica, S.J. (July 21, 2018)
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1. Leadership is more than just a study of the phenomenon – leadership being demonstrated in particular
situation or instance; or character – the person exercising the leadership action; or set of skills learned either in
study or experience. It is all these and yet more… Leadership is the study of other considerations like motivation,
formative influences (of people and events) and vocation (living a certain way of life -lifestyle). Leadership as
vocation is not often treated considerably in leadership studies but it is also a phenomenon attributed to the
people whose lives are emulated and followed by many others. These are the leaders whose lives show the way
of living a meaningful and purposeful life (Mandela, Gandhi, King and Ignatius of Loyola).

2. In many leadership studies1, key terms need to be recognized as belonging to the domain (though not
exclusively) of leading: vision (dream), influence, power, charisma, character (e.g. accountable, responsible,
transparent, open, entrepreneurial), passionate/focused on passion, discipline, risk, communication,
purpose/orientation, meaning, creativity/innovation, empowering teamwork, confidence in dealing with
uncertainty/ambiguity, complexity, adaptability, resourcefulness, enthusiasm, integrity, managerial competence,
decisiveness, and inspiration…

3. Leadership study focuses on 4 major features intersecting each other (like a cross). Each features are broadly
defined as: psychological2: trait/personality/character of the person, sociological and cultural3: the social-cultural
background -or context which influences leadership behavior, contingency4: the situation (trigger events) which
gives rise to the exercise of leadership and vocational5: inspired to direct/ orient one’s life towards a purpose and
meaning.

1“11 traits of Successful Leaders” and “8 Essential Qualities of Great Leadership (Forbes)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/deeppatel/2017/03/22/11-powerful-traits-of-successful-leaders/#4a2c9c1f469f and
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlyfries/2018/02/08/8-essential-qualities-that-define-great-leadership/#211c72133b63

2“Understanding the Trait Theory of Leadership” (VeryWellMind): https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-trait-theory-

of-leadership-2795322

3“How Cultural Factors Affect Leadership” (Wharton): http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-cultural-factors-

affect-leadership/

4“Contingency Theory” (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contingency_theory and “Leadership and Contingency

Theory (Villanova University): https://www.villanovau.com/resources/leadership/leadership-and-contingency-
theory/#.W1LbfdUzZqM

5“Your Real Work As A Leader: A Sense of Vocation” (TomorrowToday):

http://www.tomorrowtodayglobal.com/2012/07/11/your-real-work-as-a-leader-a-sense-of-vocation-2/ and Karenga, “The
Moral Vocation of Leadership: Dedication, discipline, Sacrifice, and Service” (pdf): http://www.us-
organization.org/position/documents/TheMoralVocationofLeadership12-18-14.pdf
4. Leadership is similar and dissimilar6 to other forms of exercising influence, power and control. A leader
exercises these roles/function differently. These other roles/functions and influence can be done by an
administrator, manager and delegated/appointed “leaders”, from the Greek, archeros. These are known as
“leaders” in organizations and society in connection to their mandate and authority vested upon them by people,
institutions and states. What differentiates these “leaders” from other forms of “leading” maybe in scope,
duration and purpose ascribed to these roles and in a sense , “restrictive” and “exclusive”. Leadership, in its
generic sense, from Greek “egetis”, is broader and inclusive –it is exercised with or without delegation or
authority vested by others for the effective functioning of an organization or state. In this sense, this form of
leadership arises from the performance and personality of a certain individual (person) which influential, inspiring
and emulative. This description is noted in those who hold certain mandate or authority and those from the rank
and file or general population or “followers” (hoi polloi).

5. The present course, Ignatian Leadership, takes its cue from this nascent but interesting domain of leadership
study which focuses not so much on learning skills (managerial/ competence/ contingent theories) or its
phenomenon arising from social or cultural factors (socio-cultural theories) or even from its effective execution
and implementation based on organizational goals and outcome ( organization/ state theory) but on a more
metaphysical nature of leadership of self-determination and choice as “responding to the higher calling of self-
actualization and excellence” (Maslow)7, (Maxwell) 8and even the more religious and spiritual nature of vocation,
“called to fulfill a certain purpose or life-goal”9. In other words, the study which focuses on the person (e.g. life of
St. Ignatius) and its impact on modern organization (influence on others, e.g. Society of Jesus, to take a life-
orientation or a transcendental pursuit) are constitutive elements forming its over-all structure.10 The key words
in this study are: spiritual leadership, heroic leadership, transformation and transcendental leader, servant
leadership.

6“Leadership is not a title or position” (GeorgeAmbler): https://www.georgeambler.com/leadership-is-not-title-or-position/

and “Leadership is not a position but attitude”(Everypower): https://everydaypowerblog.com/leadership-is-not-a-position-
attitude/ and “leadership is not Practice not a Position” (High5Leadership):
https://www.high5leadership.com/leadership-practice-not-position/

7“Our Hierarchy of Needs” (Psychology Today): https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/our-

hierarchy-needs

8 “5 Levels of Leadership” (John Maxwell Co.): http://www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/the-5-levels-of-leadership-a-summary

9 “Review of [Covey] The 8th Habit” : https://www.thesimpledollar.com/review-the-8th-habit/ and “Book Summary: 21

Irrefutable Laws of Leadership [Covey]”(HGIMNetwork): http://hgimnetwork.org/2015/01/book-summary-the-21-
irrefutable-laws-of-leadership-by-john-maxwell-part-1/

10 Chris Lowney, Heroic Leadership: http://chrislowney.com/wp/books/heroic-leadership/