Before becoming pope in 590, Gregory the Great had been a Roman administrator and a monk. As pope, he led the Church during a time of famine, plague, and political turmoil.
He wrote about leadership in Pastoral Rule, a guide for Church leaders. It was written for them, but its advice can apply to all of us.
👥 Know Who We’re Leading
People have different personalities, struggles, and situations. Advice that helps one person may not help another.
Good leadership starts with knowing the person in front of us.
🫱 Correct Without Crushing
When someone does something wrong, they may need correction. But correction should not break them down.
The goal is to help the person improve, not to make us feel superior.
🪞 Watch Our Pride
Having authority can change us. We may start by helping others and slowly begin to think too highly of ourselves.
Humility helps keep that from happening.
🧭 Practice What We Teach
People notice when our actions do not match our words. If we want to guide others, we also need to look at our own lives.
🎚️ Don’t Use One Formula
Not everyone needs the same kind of help. A doctor does not give every patient the same medicine, and we should not give everyone the same advice.
People may need encouragement, correction, or simply patience.
🤲 Serve the People We Lead
Leadership is not just about having authority. It means using that authority for the good of the people in our care.
Are we leading people for ourselves, or are we becoming useful to them?
Let’s keep learning the saints’ way—day by day.
⌨ ᴛʸᵖⁱⁿᵍ ᴏᵘᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ʙˡᵘᵉ ᵈᵃʳᵉᵐ ᵐᵘˢⁱᶜ ᵇˡᵒᵍ
