In one of our regular meetings with the Salesian Youth Leaders, I gave a pep talk on the challenges of leadership. Prior to it some leaders were sharing their own struggles in the youth groups, of how difficult it is to mobilize people and of the resistance that they meet in their service of leadership.
“A true leader should be ready to be unpopular”, I told them. In a culture where most leadership rests of popularity this sounds preposterous. “The task of a leader, if he is to follow the heart of the Good Shepherd, is to lead people towards what is true, good and beautiful.”
The Christian leader is someone who leads people towards Christ. This means being counter-cultural in cultures that are contrary to Christian values. The exercise of leadership comes with it the imposition of discipline of members, and people don’t like discipline. At the outset if feels like curtailing freedom but at a deeper inspection it is a path towards true freedom.
These are the moments that make leadership difficult and a point in the journey where most leaders fail. They fail because some leaders cave in to the pressures of maintaining popularity, of courting public opinion, and of the fear of rocking the boat.
When it comes to what is true and just, a leader must be ready to rock the boat, to challenge people, and to call out what is unjust. As Filipinos who treasure harmony in relationships this can be difficult for youth leaders. Jesus Christ never called us to protect harmony for the sake of harmony. “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” (Luke 12:51).
Jesus challenged the world towards higher things. A leader must not be afraid to push forward with this call even if it means discomforting people.
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