It was time for the change of provincial in a province. There were three prominent persons who could occupy the post. One was the vice-provincial and known to be a disciplinarian. The other was very intelligent, very competent in his field, and known for bulldozing and getting his way. The third had many academic qualifications, was good at socializing, and was known for always putting his interests first. Finally, the province opted for a fourth person saying, “Let us have as our provincial someone who is human.” The fourth person had what we would today call emotional intelligence. Usually it is assumed that to be a successful leader it is enough to be intelligent, competent, determined and have a vision. While these are needed, they are not sufficient.
We have looked at different types of leadership in the past months. We have also described the main qualities that characterize each of those leadership styles. In this article we shall describe some qualities that all leaders should strive for, even though one’s particular style may be that of a servant, shepherd, etc. These are qualities that are important for all leaders. These are based on the research of Daniel Goleman and his collaborators.
Jose Kuttianimattathil, sdb
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