“Leaders d’espérance” was the slogan of the Session Lead, inviting every leader in each of us to share hope. The annual workshop this year lasted five days despite the corona crisis. It was held mostly in French, targetted at young professionals, and students willing to receive training and to lead and shape their environment. Bérénice Lang, JESC Assistant to the Director was one of the participants of this 2020 edition and she shares some insights into her experience with us:
During the session, the participants listened to people from different professional backgrounds, giving testimony of their spiritual, professional and personal life experiences. It shows, similar to the methodology used in the European Leadership Programme (ELP), real know-how of leadership is truly pragmatic, down to the earth, and easily grasped through testimonies.
This year we had the chance to listen to Timothy Radcliffe, a Dominican friar and remarkable author of a number of books about Christian Leadership. He shared his vision on Leadership: “Leadership is about making other people strong.” We also met Henri de Castries, former president of the AXA group, whose way of managing is based on the personal development and growth of each employee. Then, the poignant story of Marguerite Barankitse was introduced over Zoom, whose life mission is to host orphans and help them grow in the challenging context of Burundi and Rwanda. One of the workshops was given by Nicolas Declercq, owner of the Belgian Brewery ‘Leopold 7.’ He shared with us the efforts his enterprise is putting in applying the four principles of sustainable development: “People, Planet, Prosperity, and Participation.”
All those leadership lessons and sharing moments have inspired us to look for the tools, and sources that will guide us in shaping the common good. They are very similar in different types of business and activities: from the brewery to the orphanage; one needs to take care of the people involved just as much as the interests of the planet and our wider communities. Those objectives require financial means as well as the involvement of all in the battle, leaving the deadlock of the sole race after money and profit. In addition, finding the right balance between family, friends and the work networks is key in ensuring the healthy development of a society. Those statements are only a few treasures of what has been offered to us.
Leadership programs such as Session Lead or the ELP, are a youth opportunity to lift up our spirits and make us become active contributors to the good in today’s and tomorrow’s world.
