A Leadership Approach That Has Survived the Test of Time

Chris Lowney has written a beauty of book bringing into focus leadership principles first implemented 450 years ago when Jesuit founder, St. Ignatius Loyola, established a leadership culture that led to one of the great organizational success stories in history. And along with the lessons on leadership, Lowney's readers also get a great story on several important chapters in world history.

Loyola builds on love driven leadership, an approach to leadership based on the notion that everyone has leadership potential, and true leaders unlock that potential in others. The how of unlocking potential is rooted in an orientation to "greater love than fear." This notion of leadership fits well with the growing trend of "people centered leadership" as evidenced by best selling books authored by Pat Lencioni, John Maxwell, and others. This is a welcomed change from former corporate speak where sports figures and a towel snapping, take-no-prisoners model took center stage

Lowney details Loyola's four pillars of success: self-awareness; ingenuity; love; and, heroism. The first step to leadership is self-leadership which springs from personal beliefs and attitudes. Throughout the book, Lowney highlights Loyola's belief that self-awareness is linked to leadership showing through example how leaders thrive by understanding who they are and what they value, by becoming aware of unhealthy blind spots or weaknesses that can derail them, and by cultivating the habit of continuous self-reflection and learning.

Loyola's spiritually based approach to leadership also identifies attachments in life as obstacles to leading. He also underscores how ingenuity disposes people not to just think out of the box but to live outside the box.

"Heroic Leadership" is organized around the following chapters:
Of Jesuit's and J.P. Morgan
What Leaders Do
The Jesuits
Leadership Role Models
"To Order One's Life"
The Spiritual Exercises
"The Whole World Becomes Our House"
"Refuse No Talent, Nor Any Man of Quality"
"An Uninterrupted Life of Heroic Deeds"
"Exceptional Daring Was Needed"
"The Way We Do Things"

A strong leader relishes the opportunity to continue learning about self and the world and looks to new discoveries and interests. And real leaders - real heros - find fulfillment, meaning, and, yes, even success by shifting their gaze beyond self-interest and serving others. And they become greater - enhanced as persons - by focusing on something greater than self-interest alone.

This is a book that most will use as a reference for years to come.

Especially for the non-Jesuit educated.

'Values' have a bad reputation in business given the Enrons, Adelphias and WorldComs of the world. There seems to be a lack of heros in the workplace, much less, leadership. Having had the privilege of not only reading, but listening to a presentation by, Chris Lowney, this book should be added to the booklist of any individual who aspires to supervise, manage or lead effectively and ethically. It should be required reading for MBAs as well as veteran CEOs to remind them about their responsibility to nurture excellent "follwership." Lowney provides readers with the four pillars of Jesuit values, plus the principles of personal accountability (see opening sentence) and that we all lead no matter where we are in the organization. Great history on the Jesuits, their history, zeal for excellence in education, political acumen, adaptability and ethos. We would all benefit from going forward in our personal and professional lives "with one foot raised." And, yes, I hold undergraduate and graduate degrees from a Jesuit university.

Leaders, not just managers

I must confess that Lowney was preaching to the Choir being that I am jesuit educated. For those who have experienced jesuit leadership this book will only reinforce your image of the Society of Jesus. However, there is much to be gained from this book for those who may have never even heard of the Jesuits.

Lowney articulates well the four principles of Jesuit leadership and gives stunning historical eaxamples which illuminate them. I believe these historical examples, though a bit simplified and most certainly glossing over some unflattering instances, are particularly forceful since they leave the reader amazed at how a group of pre-enlightenment men in the overt service of the Papacy achieved such a high degree of insight into the world and, yes, enlightenment. Lowney leads you to the conclusion that the Society's four principles of leadership are responsible for this.
If you accept that Lowney is certainly only giving the good news, much can be gained from this book.