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“Great leaders do not create followers, they create more leaders” (Tom Peters)
To ensure an effective start of the three new Provinces of the Congregation, the General Leadership Team (GLT) organized a Leadership Development Programme (LDP) from February 16th to February 29th, 2024 in Rome to equip the new Provincial Leadership Teams (PLTs) for the daunting ministry of Leadership. The programme was characterized by thrilling, and engaging lectures, deep sharing, profound attentiveness, and empathetic listening. A wide range of topics was covered.
Talking on Consecrated Life and Leadership, Authority and the Use of Power in the African Context, Sr. Anne Falola, OLA identified four kinds of power: Personal Power, Instrumental Power, and Projected Official Power. She equally touched on the abuse of power, the cultural dimensions of power in relationship to leadership, and the importance of designing Safeguarding protocols and policies for Institutes of Consecrated Life. She further explored key challenges of Leadership in Africa and proposals on how to handle them.
Focusing on Imagining Leadership in a Global World, Sr. Patricia Murray, IBVM, emphasized the importance of listening and constant reflection on the question: who are we as women religious in the world today? She encouraged collaboration with other religious institutes and exhorted participants to constantly bear in mind that: “as leaders in a global world, we are called to widen the tents of our hearts, be present at the borderlands, embrace vulnerability, celebrate diversity, and listen for the long note”.
Fr. David McCallum, SJ and Pabola drilled participants on Conflict Management Skills. The duo examined the types of conflict, capacity for conflict resolution, reframing conflict, fruits of positive conflict resolutions, generative listening, and intentional speaking.
Sr. Kelly Connors, PM, focused on The Discerning Leader with particular attention to some practical Canonical and Constitutional issues. She pointed out that congregational unity, collaboration among provinces and the GLT, respect for the rights of members, fostering cordial relationships with the church hierarchy, and respect for contracts were paramount.
Since planning is crucial for effective management and leadership, participants were drilled on Strategic Planning. Cognizant of the fact that Strategic Planning gives direction and focus to a team and makes their task easier, Sr. Olivia Umouh, DC, underlined the importance of Strategic Planning.
Purposeful visits to the major Papal Basilicas in Rome and the Franciscan Basilicas in Assisi were a vital part of the Programme. The most amazing and exciting of all experiences was the General Audience on February 28, 2024, which provided an opportunity for a brief chat with His Holiness, Pope Francis. The Superior General handed a symbolic gift to the Holy Father and the sisters spontaneously sang the Blessings of St. Francis. The Holy Father was very impressed by the spontaneous gesture and imparted his Apostolic Blessings on the sisters. This made the sisters extremely elated and hopeful.
The time spent by the new PLTs and the GLTs was crucial, exciting and educative. It was characterized by respectful, meaningful and enlivening encounters. It was an opportunity to build bridges and pull down walls, strengthen bonds of fraternity, brainstorm together, dream together, plan together, mutually empower and encourage one another to dare to be prophetic amidst the storms of life. Most importantly, it was a time of spiritual renewal, an opportunity for TSSF leaders to return to the Franciscan Sources, and deepen their knowledge of the important places in Assisi that hold the treasures of the Franciscan Order.