Dare Great Things For Christ

All of us want to be influential in our lives.  We want to be successful parents, great business leaders, powerful leaders in our community and we know that all of our influence flows from our actions and all of our actions flow from our intentions and desires.  But intentions are not good enough.  Great leaders know how to build on good intentions and make effective plans to really hit the mark.  Our Catholic faith shows us this in many ways and our faith can provide a priceless tool as we fight for vision.

It seems self evident to say that all leadership begins with vision but that begs the question, “where does vision begin?” For many people finding a vision is a very difficult thing to do.  In the face of so many problems and challenges how can we come up with good solutions.  The truth be told God has a lot to do with healing our ability to dream.  His grace in us repairs the fundamental structure of leadership by allowing us to recapture our ability to cast a vision.

Leadership has many definitions but all of them have one thing in common:  people have to follow.  Regardless of how good your idea is or how passionate you are about it, if you can’t bring other people along with you, you will not be able to lead successfully.  But effectively sharing your vision and your passion is more than just a natural talent.  It’s a skill that can be studied and harnessed.  And what is more, it is an especial gift that Christ gives to the world through his Christian leaders.

Everybody who is successful knows that great ideas are only the beginning.  You need a strategic plan, you need helpers along the journey, and you need the staying power of pure determination.  Does our faith have anything to do with this?  Does being a Christian give an advantage to leaders?  Or is there any overlap between the faith and the demands of our practical life?  We believe that there is and one of the best places to see it is in the beauty of grit.

Getting things done.  How do I pass from ability to action?  I may know what is right, I may know what I need to do, but actually doing it is a whole other thing.  What’s more, sometimes the risks involved of actually doing something and putting my name to paper are quite daunting.  What if I’m wrong?  Can I afford to pay the consequences for my choices?  Many people prefer to simply hide.  How can my faith in God help me to pass from potential into action and make the difference I really want to make?

One of the hardest parts about leading is making choices.  It seems that if you choose one thing, you can’t have another.  And the perspective of missing out on something can make us afraid.  How can we be sure that what we chose is really the best way?  Would life be easier if we didn’t have to make those decisions at all?  I find it fascinating that God forces us to make decisions.  It’s almost like God isn’t afraid of making us choose.  How can we as leaders make the best decisions?  What’s the secret to choosing well?

When it comes to leadership, so much can be said and so much has been said but sometimes it can be a little confusing.  What exactly is meant by leadership?  What is not leadership?  What comes first and defines the rest?  In the approach we take at the Saint John Leadership Network, leadership begins with what we call aspiration.  Profoundly put, this means the ability we have to dream.  In today’s course we examine where dreams come from and how to recover its power in our lives. 

Last week Dare Great Things passed a milestone.  We issued our two hundred and first episode.  Our past episodes have been an amazing journey through stories and documents and lives of the saints that have inspired us.  I’m really excited to be able to start something new now.  Starting with Episode 202 we will begin to present the Saint John Leadership Network’s own proper teaching about leadership.  We call it AUDEO and I am honored to share it with you.  In today’s episode I give an overview of this unique Catholic take on leadership. 

In his encyclical letter, Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII makes an astounding claim.  He claims that the involvement of religion in the affairs of the state and the economy is necessary as a means to regulate and perfect the potentials of the same.  The same can be applies to each one of us in our workplaces where we lead.  Understanding how our faith impacts the well running of our offices can help us be convinced of the power of our faith in our business.

It has been said that human society can be divided into those who have and those who have not.  For many this opposition is the source of a lot of contention and fighting.  But does it have to be this way?  In his encyclical, “Rerum Novarum”, Pope Leo XIII uses this very question as an opportunity to present an attractive proposition of the Gospel.  In fact, Christians need to fill the space of possessions, talents, needs, and wants with Jesus Christ.  This is the role of the Catholic leader.