Greetings and Christ’s peace to you all!
The topic of our resources this week is that of stress, and how we’re taking care of ourselves as we’re taking care of others. In my work with leaders in human services agencies supporting the needs of people on the front lines of the pandemic, the issue of stress and burn-out comes up repeatedly. Following up on the reflection from last week on servant leadership, which tends to emphasize the kenotic and altruistic dimensions of leadership, a corollary topic is how we model good leadership by taking appropriate care of ourselves. While Jesus tells us in the Great Commandment to love God with our whole heart, and love our neighbor as ourselves, St. Augustine had a singular impact on our Christian notion of this tripartite nature of love. His focus on the sin of concupiscence had a powerful stifling effect on the topic of healthy self-love and compassion, as if all self-care is selfish. As a result, our Christianity can sometimes manifest with a certain masochistic tendency suggesting that complete selflessness is not only possible but necessary. However, when we acknowledge the nature of our human relationships, we can discern a profound interdependence, so that a healthy and discerning care of self is also a benefit to all those with whom we deeply connected.
As we reckon with the experience of stress in our lives as leaders, I encourage you to read the article linked here, and to consider what lessons it may have for you at this moment. Please let me know if you are interested in further resources along these lines.
What implications does this article does this have for you as you undertake your roles of service and responsibility? Are there any implications for your teams?
Fr. Giacomo Costa SJ did studies in philosophy and theology, and he also obtained a master's degree in Political and Moral Sociology at the EHESS in Paris.
He is the responsible for Formation at the Society of Jesus.
Prof. Rafael Luciani received his licentiate and doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and a degree in educational sciences with a philosophical orientation from the Universidad Católica "Andrés Bello" in Caracas (Venezuela). He also studied philosophy at the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome and did post-doctoral work at the Julius Maximilians Universität in Würzburg (Germany).
Nathalie Becquart serves as Undersecretary of the Secretariat of the Synod of the Bishops since March 2021.
Robert J. Bies (Ph.D., Stanford University) is Professor of Management and Founder of the Executive Master’s in Leadership Program at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. In addition, Dr. Bies is a co-author of the book, Getting Even: The Truth About Workplace Revenge—And How to Stop It.
Professor Bies’s current research focuses on leadership, the delivery of bad news, organizational justice, and revenge and forgiveness in the workplace.