We are thrilled to share the culmination of an enriching journey as the Discerning Leadership Program marked the conclusion of its latest session on the 1st of December. Hosted in the heart of Rome, this program catered to leaders from religious congregations and Vatican Dicasteries, providing them with a holistic and transformative experience.
Module Focus: Unlocking Interpersonal Dimensions of Leadership
The program’s second module, conducted between September and November, honed in on the interpersonal dimensions of leadership. Inspired by a synodal and spiritual style, it empowered leaders with enhanced awareness and competence in key areas:
- Building effective teams for mission
- Navigating interculturality
- Managing conflict styles
- Developing generative listening and speaking skills
- Addressing polarities and paradoxes in teams
- Mastering discernment in common
As part of our commitment to comprehensive learning, participants had access to two additional instruments: Coaching accompaniment and a 360 Assessment tool. Stay tuned for more details in our upcoming post.
Global Impact: 65 Leaders from 28 Countries
A total of 65 leaders representing 28 countries, including 11 Superior Generals, 41 General Councilors of religious orders, and 9 Vatican officials, benefited from this dynamic program. The diversity of backgrounds and experiences fostered a vibrant learning environment.
Participant Insights: A Glimpse into the Transformative Experience
From the feedback received, participants highlighted:
- The profound personal and spiritual dimensions of the program
- A strong sense of bonding and community, creating a synodal experience that enriched perspectives
- Engaging pedagogy and methodology resulting in insightful and transformational learnings
- The unique learning space facilitated by the closeness, dynamism, and unevenness of the faculty and facilitators
Celebrating Diversity and the 800 Years of the “Regola of St. Francesco”
The diversity of charisms and spiritualities of the participants and their congregations inspired and enriched everyone, they were most openly shared in the liturgies and morning prayers organized everyday by different mixed groups.
The program’s second Italian module provided a special occasion to celebrate the 800 years of the “Regola of St. Francesco.” Five members of the General Council of the Order of the Minor Friars joined in this commemoration, adding a profound layer to the overall experience.
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.