Spirit of Leadership

THE SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?...If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Paul’s dedication to his purpose and genuine love for the people he served inspired not only his generation, but also succeeding generations who, for two thousand years, have read his words and been influenced by his vision and exam ple. This is the essence of true leadership—purpose, convic tion, passion, inspiration, and commitment unto death. Mother Teresa Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, whom the world has come to know as Mother Teresa, was born in Skopje, Macedonia. From the time she was a girl, she felt her life’s purpose was to serve God full-time. When she was eighteen, she became a nun and went to India with the Sisters of Loreto and taught in a Catholic high school for many years. During this time, she witnessed the life of poverty and sickness that many people in India were leading. Her life’s purpose and passion crystallized as she felt called by God to help “the poorest of the poor” and devoted herself to bring hope, dignity, heal ing, and education to the needy in Calcutta—those whom other people dismissed as being either beyond help or not worthy of it. Mother Teresa started her own order called “The Missionaries of Charity” and became nationally and inter nationally recognized for her selfless humanitarian work. Her passion to help others led her to identify totally with them: She became a citizen of India and always kept her vow of poverty, even when she became famous.

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