By Catherine Moreton Gray, JD
In a conversation I had with one of my colleagues following the Pope’s visit, we talked about his apparent rejection of the trappings of his position in favor of staying true to his values. We also talked about the Pope’s communication skills, and about his focus on staying in touch with people. My colleague then said, “It’s easy to be a great leader if you can’t be fired!”
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She has a point. The Pope has his job for life, or at least I think he does. It seems like a fairly secure position. Does that make it easier to stay true to fundamental goals and values as a leader? Is it easier to communicate goals and vision when you aren’t worried about your job?
It may be easier to take a controversial position or go against the system if you know you can’t be fired. But, bottom line, a leader is only great if people follow and work together with the leader to achieve the goals.