With Pope Francis visiting the area this weekend, we thought we would share some management advice from the Pontiff himself.
Nick Pipitone, writing on ResourcefulManager.com, recently blogged about the Pope’s leadership advice for organizations. Here are some highlights:
Patience is a virtue. Pope Francis has made changes to the Vatican’s operations. He knew that he would be met with resistance but continue to strive through the objections. Managers should do the same – while things rarely happen as easily and fast as they would like them to, and patience is truly a virtue. Changes take time, and patience as well as persistence will pay off in the end.
Avoid the disease of micromanaging. Pope Francis warned the church officials of “diseases” of leadership, one of which was “excessive planning.” His message was that you are not a leader, but instead an office manager when things are planned down to the last detail. Setting clear expectations and deadlines is essential, but nothing irritates employees more than being constantly watched over their shoulders. Avoiding micromanaging gives employees motivation to professional fulfillment.
Know when to be assertive. While the Pope is polite and soft-spoken, he is by no means a pushover. Successful managers are assertive, firm and fair. They know when and how to show that certain things are not acceptable and how to hold people accountable while not being to authoritarian. They also show respect for employees, which in turn builds employee respect for them.