Gonzaga Witness

Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Opinion

With all of the changes in leadership that have happened in the past election year and those that are still occurring, The Witness decided that it would be a good idea to write about what makes a good leader. We don't just want to list off some characteristics but dive into the essentials of what makes someone a good choice to lead, with a special emphasis on Catholic leadership.
To begin I think it is appropriate to say thank you to Fr. Spitzer for all of his years of service and wonderful leadership at Gonzaga.
One of the greatest characteristics of a leader is someone who will walk the path they preach, someone who isn't afraid to live by example. This helps show commitment and confidence in what you believe. It is not enough to simply delegate and let others take care of everything. Instead, a good leader gets his or her hands dirty, and welcomes challenges and adversity. More importantly however, a good leader recognizes the blessing and responsibility that comes with their position and remembers where he or she comes from. A leader has a humble heart and sees their job as a blessing. I think this is very evident in role models like Fr. Spitzer, whose favorite prayer is, "I give up, you take care of it." When you are able to humble yourself and let go of your pride, in order to best serve, you have a tremendous chance of success.
A good leader is patient, takes their time making important decisions, and considers all the options in solid prayer. Yet, in the same breathe, they are not shy about taking on challenging questions and providing the best answer. Many of you are familiar with the sex scandals in the Catholic Church. When Pope Benedict came to New York last April he held a special meeting for all of those affected where he apologized, explained the humanity of the priests, and gave everyone an individual blessing. He faced this challenge to the Church head on, which was an important step.
The Church is full of leaders like this: Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II, and Archbishop Oscar Romero, to name a few. People like this have an incredible faith and have put God first in their lives. This has allowed them to dedicate their entire lives to God and accomplish incredible feats. They get their inspiration from the greatest leader of all time, Christ. He humbled himself by coming in human form to help us understand how to live as good Christians. His example continues to be the best source of leadership we have to follow. He was obedient, and loved us so much that he willingly accepted death on the cross. In this way a good leader has a genuine love and concern for the people they serve, and are willing to sacrifice for them.

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