Franciscan Leadership Puts God First at FHCM Senior Management Meeting

Talking about Franciscan leadership naturally involves discussions about mission, “about doing God’s work,” said Fr. Tod Laverty, O.F.M. “There’s a real call here to something beyond ourselves, and being a Franciscan leader means we have a reverence for something that is far bigger than us.”

Speaking to attendees at the FHCM Leadership Enrichment Program, Fr. Laverty explained the four core values that are central to Franciscans, and thereby ought to be embraced by leaders in Franciscan organizations.

• Poverty gives us the freedom to let go of certain ambitions and to place goals and challenges in God’s hands.
• Humility is an acknowledgement of our “littleness” before God.
• Prayer is where our inner selves find true connection with God.
• Penance, not be understood simply as punishment for sin, is our opportunity to ask God back into our lives when we recognize that our own desires can sometimes lead us in the wrong direction.

Taken together, all of these values work to help Franciscan leaders just as they helped Francis some eight centuries ago. “Francis’ life was chaotic and confusing,” Fr. Laverty said, “and God was working in him, though he didn’t realize it until much later.” Similarly, a leader today is one who deals with the mess, confusion, and chaos of life, and “once we realize that God is here with us, and allow Him to work through us, we truly become Franciscan leaders.” He added that in a Franciscan sense, leaders are not as concerned with being out in front, but regard their colleagues as partners sharing in the mission of the organization.

Fr. Laverty explained that Francis, who fully embraced poverty and humility, regarded his daily trials and suffering as “perfect joy.” The mood lightened when Dr. Steve Driggers, Clinical Operations Officer/Chief Medical Officer, at Holy Family Memorial said that his work brought him lots of perfect joy.

The Leadership Enrichment Program, hosted by Ron Briggs and his colleagues at Franciscan Care Services, was held Sept. 15-16 at West Point’s newly built Donald E. Nielsen Community Center.

The program included a tour of Franciscan Care Services’ facilities and a dinner at nearby Indian Trails Country Club.