Paradigm Shifts: Fostering a Leadership of Care 

 “To care first of all for the fragility of human beings, to recognize the centrality of the human person, to nurture the gifts of every man and woman, to invest in people, and to create environments -including economic organizations and workplaces- in which their talents can be nurtured and truly flourish” are the tasks that leaders must carry out to promote a leadership of care.

This concept was addressed by Sr. Raffaella Petrini, F.S.E., President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, referring to the new leadership model which Pope Francis outlined in his speech to the members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg in 2014. Sr. Petrini’s talk took place on Sunday, April 6 during the interreligious summit for the centenary of Nazareth University in Rochester, New York. Sr. Petrini was invited to speak on the theme “Paradigm Shifts: Promoting Leadership of Care.” The meeting and panel discussion, part of the summit program, included the participation of Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, President of Hebrew College in Massachusetts and Najeeba Syeed, J.D., Executive Director of Interfaith at Augsburg University in Minnesota. The three speakers discussed Christian, Jewish, and Muslim perspectives on peace-building, care, and compassion.

The “paradigm shift” is centered upon a vision of modern economics that puts the human person at the center and recognizes human work as an essential dimension of human existence through which men and women build their lives. “Within this changing framework” Sr. Petrini added, “leaders who wish to contribute to this change must keep their eyes on the integral development of the members of their organizations. A human-centered approach to management allows leaders to focus on the needs of the person and foster a culture of care that promotes mutuality and collaboration, where the private and the professional spheres are no longer rigidly separated.”

This leadership style, she noted, implies a particular attitude of care for people in their personal and professional dimensions, a concrete sensitivity to the development of human capital that makes any organization function effectively. In this regard, the President of the Governorate highlighted the need for managers and those responsible for personnel management to have a particular regard for the ethos of care, which translates into solidarity and attention towards the person, especially in the presence of fragility - management then acquires a dimension of service with the  awareness of one's own vulnerability and that of others.