"Benevolent leaders show empathy, humility, and respect. These are important traits when you are committed to organisational change and improvement"
👏 Happy Friday!
On this day, March 17, 461 AD, Saint Patrick, bishop and apostle of Ireland, died in Saul and was buried in nearby Downpatrick, Ireland. Saint Patrick was a bishop in Ireland and is considered to be the founder of Christianity in Ireland. The feast day of Saint Patrick, commemorating the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, is one of the most celebrated days of any saint around the world. The event has been celebrated for over a thousand years and has spread across the world from the “Emerald Isle” to New York and Boston, where some of the biggest parades are held.
✅ St. Patrick was brought to the Emerald Isle when he was kidnapped and enslaved before escaping back to Britain. He forgave his captors and eventually returned to Ireland to advance Christianity throughout the island. Among the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland. However, he is known for two short works: the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Letter to Coroticus. In his Confessio, St. Patrick wrote, “Although I am imperfect in many ways, I want my brothers and relations to know what I’m really like, so that they can see what it is that inspires my life.” Irrespective of a person’s religious beliefs, there’s no denying Saint Patrick’s enormous influence as a leader, underscored by his benevolence, a characteristic needed by leaders when implementing organisational change. Change Leadership Commands Benevolence.
"Benevolent leaders show empathy, humility, and respect. These are important traits when you are committed to organisational change and improvement"
👉 Benevolent leaders are committed to making their organisation better and this trait complements change leadership: They are approachable and accessible but are neither wimps nor pushovers. Benevolent leaders are servant leaders, they put the needs of their employees first. They help and empower the employees to develop the new skills and behaviours so they can adopt the new way of working. Leading and implementing organisation change usually means making difficult decisions that will impact employee’s working lives, their families and potentially their livelihoods. These things are never easy, but if a leader can perform these tasks with empathy, humility, and respect, it will make the process much more palatable for everyone involved.
Happy St Patrick’s day. May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of St. Patrick behold you.
Have a fantastic weekend with the ones you love and care for, enjoy some fresh air, exercise, eat, drink and be happy.
Further Reading: Change Management Leadership - Leadership of Change Volume 4
Peter consults, speaks, and writes on the Leadership of Change®.
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Peter F Gallagher is a Change Management Global Thought Leader, Guru, Expert, International Speaker, Author and Leadership Alignment Coach.
Listed #1 by leadersHum Top 40 Change Management Gurus You Should Follow in 2022 (Mar 2022).
Ranked #1 Change Management Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Change Management (2022-2021-2020) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #1 Business Strategy Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Business Strategy (2022) by Thinkers360.
Ranked #2 Leadership Global Thought Leader: Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Leadership (Aug 2020) by Thinkers360.
Named 2023 “Top 30” in Leadership ~ Global Gurus.
Business Book Ranking
Change Management Behaviour - Leadership of Change® Volume 6, listed among the 50 Books from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders to read in 2022.
Change Management Adoption - Leadership of Change® Volume 5, listed among year-to-date’s (Jul 2021) most popular books on business and technology from Thinkers360 member thought leaders.
Change Management Handbook - Leadership of Change® Volume 3, listed among the 50 Business and Technology Books from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders to read in 2021.
Change Management Pocket Guide - Leadership of Change® Volume 2, ranked within the top 50 Business and Technology Books (Jan 2020) from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders.