He Pope Francisco he has become known as a modern figure who seeks to get closer to modern men and women by making important reforms. A few years ago, just before Christmas, the Pope addressed the Roman Curia – the cardinals and other officials who are in charge of the government of the Catholic Church – to give them a strong message on leadership.
In his speech, the pontiff said that people in positions of great responsibility are vulnerable to “diseases” such as arrogance, short-sightedness and intolerance, and that when these ailments are not addressed, they can weaken an entire organization.
Gary Hammel’s Harvard Business Review He translated this speech by Pope Francis into an entrepreneurial language to understand the weaknesses that modern leaders are exposed to.
The diseases of leadership, according to Pope Francis
1. The disease of believing that we are immortal
Many modern leaders come to believe that they are infallible and indispensable, so they stop doing the necessary “checkups” to find out how their health is going. Some leaders can succumb to the pathology of narcissism and a superiority complex, making them feel more entitled than everyone else in their organization. The antidote to this plague is humility, knowing how to say “I am one more servant who only fulfills his duty.”
2. The disease of being always busy
It is about those leaders who immerse themselves in work and forget to rest, since this helps to generate stress and agitation. Rest time for people who have done their job is not only necessary, it must be taken seriously.
3. The disease of “emotional petrification”
It is found in those leaders who have a “heart of stone” because over time they have been bogged down in red tape. They are those who lose human sensitivity by dedicating themselves only to fulfilling hard goals. It is important to cry with those who cry and laugh with those who laugh.
4. The disease of over-planning
This is an evil that afflicts leaders who believe that for things to work they must be perfectly planned. According to Pope Francis, things must be planned well without risking losing spontaneity.
5. The disease of poor coordination
It occurs when members of a community begin to believe that they do not need others. When the foot says to the arm, “I don’t need you,” or the hand says to the head, “I’m in charge,” it creates discomfort and narrow-mindedness.
6. The “Alzheimer’s” disease of leadership
It consists of forgetting the people who have helped, mentored, and supported us in our own ways because they get caught up in the obsessions of the present.
7. The disease of rivalry and vainglory
It occurs when looks, titles, and benefits are the primary focus of our work as leaders. It is “not doing disinterested things” and stop thinking about the well-being of others.
8. The disease of “emotional schizophrenia”
It is the condition that afflicts people who get locked up in bureaucratic procedures and lose contact with the reality of the people they are directing.
9. The gossip disease
This condition first arises with small talk about a colleague that can later degenerate into the murder of a person’s good name. It is a disease of weak people who lack the courage to speak directly and prefer to do it behind people’s backs.
10. The disease of idealizing superiors
It is that disease that arises in those who seek to please their direct bosses just to win favors. They are the people who honor opportunism instead of fighting for the good of an organization. They only think about what they can get and not what they have to give, because they are lethally selfish.
11. The disease of indifference
It occurs when leaders only think of themselves and lose their sincerity. It occurs when people do not put their knowledge at the service of others, when jealousy and selfishness rob you of the joy of seeing your colleagues and helping them.
12. The “straight face” disease
it is about the evil that afflicts those leaders who believe they must always have a stern face to be taken seriously. Pope Francis indicates that contrary to what is intended, showing sterile pessimism is often a sign of insecurity. A leader must be calm, courteous, enthusiastic and cheerful to transmit good energy in his step.
13. Hoarding Disease
It occurs when the leader tries to fill an existential void with material goods. It is a sterile exercise because no treasure can compensate for what is lacking within the person.
14. The disease of power groups
It occurs when an organization has groups within itself that concentrate power and do not put it at the service of the people. They often emerge as a means to run an organization, but end up becoming a cancer that prevents its growth.
15. The disease of extravagance
Ultimately, this evil arises when leaders seek to amass more and more power and be in everyone’s conversation – because it makes them feel glamorous and important – and they are willing to do whatever it takes to get it.
Do you agree with these diseases that Pope Francis points out? How would you fight them?