Recently a senior priest shared with me some reminiscences of his ordination. He had joined the Salesians after working for some years as a teacher. The bishop who ordained him was known to him. On the occasion of his ordination he received a letter from the bishop congratulating him and wishing him a very fruitful life as a priest. A sentence from that letter remains etched on his mind even after so many years: “Do not become a busy priest.” What the bishop meant was that he should not neglect his spiritual life using the many apostolic activities that he would have to carry out, as an excuse. Through his letter the bishop was exercising spiritual leadership.
What is Spiritual Leadership?
There is a growing awareness that leaders should take care not only of the material and emotional well-being of those under their charge but also of their spiritual welfare. Spirituality and religion are related but they are not the same. Without entering into a detailed discussion, we may consider religion as an organized entity (usually with some structure of authority and governance, and some indicators of belongingness), which holds common beliefs and practices (e.g. the Apostles’ Creed, sacraments). Spirituality refers to the methods of maintaining connectedness to something larger than oneself (supreme being), the ways of finding meaning in life and the discipline of living one’s life in a loving and sacred manner. One can be spiritual without being a member of an organized religion. Although the spiritual dimension is a very important part of the human being, leaders often do not concern themselves with it saying that it belongs to a person’s private life. Today, there is a new realization that people are to be encouraged to bring their whole selves (e.g. physical dimension, emotional dimension, intellectual dimension, spiritual dimension) to their work or whatever they are engaged in and leaders must pay attention to and address all the dimensions. Spiritual leadership is not about being the leader of a religious/spiritual entity like a parish, diocese or a convent. Rather, it is about being spiritual and paying attention also to the spiritual dimension of those under our care, or those whom we lead, be it in the workplace, on a sports team, NGO, etc.
Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil SDB
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