For the leaders will lead, evenutlly the leaders will follow

[demosincebirth]

Sister Joan Chittister


For If The People Will Lead, Eventually The Leaders Will Follow
Sunday, July 8, 2012 Enlightened Catholicism Blog



It's sort of a shame Sr Joan can never wear one of the pointy hats, carry a crozier, and wear lots of lace.


There are graduation speeches and then there are graduation speeches. The following is the speech given to the 2012 graduates of Stanford University by Sr Joan Chittister. I would have loved to have heard her give it in person, and yet I was inspired just reading it. Here it is in it's entirety as posted on Sojourners:
Sister Joan Chittister's Stanford Baccalaureate Address
Bertolt Brecht, German dramatist and poet wrote: "There are many elements to a campaign. Leadership is number one. Everything else is number two."

And Walter Lippmann said: "The final test of a leader is someone who leaves behind themselves – in others – the conviction and the will to carry on."

But how do we know what it means to really be a leader and how do we know who should do it?

There are some clues to those answers in folk literature, I think. The first story is about two boats that meet head on in a shipping channel at night.

As boats are wont to do in the dark, boat number 1 flashed boat number 2: "We are on a collision course. Turn your boat 10 degrees north."

Boat 2 signaled back: "Yes, we are on a collision course. Turn your boat 10 degrees south."

Boat 1 signaled again: "I am an admiral in her majesty's navy; I am telling you to turn your boat 10 degrees north."
Boat 2 flashed back immediately: "And I am a seaman 2nd class. And I am telling you to turn your boat 10 degrees south."

By this time, the admiral was furious. He flashed back: "I repeat! I am an admiral in her majesty's navy and I am commanding you to turn your boat 10 degrees north. I am in a battleship!"

And the second boat returned a signal that said: "And I am commanding you to turn your boat 10 degrees south. I am in a lighthouse."

Point: Rank, titles and positions are no substitute for leadership.


more: http://enlightenedcatholicism-colkoch.blogspot.com/2012/07/for-if-people-will-lead-eventually.html

[mmonk]

1. Wow.

Reading the whole speech is really great. I'm going to pass this one around.