I want to, go ahead and welcome everybody to our very first IPS Global Lecture Series.
We're excited for everybody who is joining us tonight and knowing also that it's being recorded and posted in classes in different places, so people who are in different time zones will watch later as well.
So I'm excited to introduce, our new lecture series in the MSP, where we will have kinda the opportunity for leaders from a variety of different fields of work and ministry to share about their work and their use of various aspects of applied psychology in their work.
The lectures will be every fourth Thursday of every term except summers, so four a year.
And we're looking especially to have individuals, to share who work in kind of the areas of work or ministry that our new concentrations represent.
So tonight, we're having a topic on leadership, the importance of virtue and leadership.
In the spring, we'll have a talk on marriage and family studies, and we'll have something on human services.
So just to give insight into people's work and ministry lives, that work in these areas.
So for tonight, our very first lecture, I am very, very grateful to be able to introduce, and welcome Father Nathaniel Haslam to speak to us tonight about the importance of virtue and leadership.
Father Nathaniel is with us from the Lumen Institute.
Lumen Institute is an organization that helps business and cultural leaders to pursue excellence in their leadership role and thus then to influence others and culture through the excellence in leadership.
Father Nathaniel was ordained, a Catholic priest in Rome in 2010 after joining the Legionaries in 1999.
Before he joined the Legionaries, he had received training in electrical and mechanical engineering from the Rensselaer Polytech Institute in New York.
And after graduation, he worked for Xerox for several years and planned to found his own fortune 500 company when the Lord let him know he had other plans and called him to the priesthood.
During his twelve years of priestly training, he founded the International Leadership Semester, which is a certified leadership study abroad program at the European University of Rome.
He's also helped organize and coordinate the first ever Vatican executive summit in which world economic leaders were invited to discuss a global ethics strategy to respond to the economic crisis in 2009.
And for the last ten years, father Nathaniel has been living in Houston, where he has also assisted, various parishes.
And he is the national chaplain for the Lumen Institute for Business and Cultural Leaders.
He's also finally published, the book, The Future of Leadership in 2020.
And he enjoys helping leaders bridge from Sunday into Monday, through one on one, one to one life coaching and small group work.
So I want to welcome father Nathaniel very much.
Looking forward for you to share with us tonight.
Wonderful.
Thank you, Julia.
Can you hear me okay?
Yep.
Very well.
Wonderful.
Well, I can't see you all out there, but a one of a greeting to you all and maybe a good place to start would be to start with a prayer as we launch into this new series.
Right?
That kind of a landmark moment for DMU to have this series.
So we just entrust us all to the Lord and and our conversation tonight to each to the Lord as well.
In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
Lord God, we come before you as your beloved daughters and sons.
So grateful for this day we've received and to know that we are your children, that you hold us very closely in your arms and call us your beloved, cherished ones.
And in a very amazing way, you not only reveal that love to us, but you also send us out to reveal that love to others, to be coworkers in the vineyard with you.
And that's a tall order.
We know we are weak instruments and and broken instruments so often, but nonetheless, your grace upholds us.
And so with that for that reason, we turn to you with confidence and continue to put our hand to the plow and and recommit to be dedicated and ministers and servants to our sisters and brothers who need the gospel, who need to know you just as much as we do ourselves to share the joy and the peace that comes from knowing you, the the lord Jesus Christ.
And so we ask your blessing upon this night on each one of us and our needs and our intentions and all those that are in our hearts this night, and and to bless especially the students and faculty and staff, Divine Mercy University.
May god bless us all in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit.
Amen.
So very good.
I don't see you, but, look forward to to hear your thoughts and questions in the q and a session.
A little disclaimer.
I think the most important and and oftentimes the the funnest part of these these sessions is really the q and a.
And I've been had the grace and chance to give talks on leadership and virtue over the years and find that that's the most important time that we have.
So I'm gonna have a I'm I'm not gonna talk for more.
I'm gonna stop myself after about a half hour or so.
Got my watch here with me because I wanna hear from all of you and and your thoughts and and to share dialogue a little together.
So as you heard in that little intro, I'd really say that, look, I think, like, all of you, the idea of living virtue, the idea of of trying to imbue whatever sector of leadership or influence you find yourself in, be that in the sort of the ministry of the church, whether that's in the in the psychological sciences, if that's in in business, if it's in sports, entertainment, politics, whatever sector of the world you wanna speak about, it's kind of an imposing thing, frankly.
It it's not I don't I think most of us don't feel qualified to serve in in the field of who we're sent to.
And and I certainly didn't.
I mean, I'm a a broken man.
I don't know if my bio said or not, but I'm a former atheist businessman.
I a lot of the virtues I'm gonna talk about or the things we're gonna talk about, I frankly did them all as business people.
I, you know, I stole from the company when I worked with them before.
I was dishonest.
I stepped on people to get legs up in the company.
So I'm I'm preaching from the position of one who's also received great mercy and understanding from the Lord.
And and and yet also knowing that what we each one of us on this call tonight have much to offer.
People need the message that you all have.
So that's also one thing that I hope you all take away is that you also how are called to leadership.
You are a call to, to to imbue the world with virtue and with with with the the gift of knowing Christ.
So one of the just as a background, how sometimes this mission to come to us unexpectedly, I was in Rome, still a seminarian in 2008, and the world is back then you might remember was in the middle of the economic global economic crisis.
And so one of the pivotal moments I remember in my life and has put me on the trajectory of to to be with all of you today was I was just studying for the my theology exam.
I get a little knock on the door, and father priest there says, well, brother Nathaniel, you're supposed to be at headquarters right now.
They're over near the center of Rome for a meeting.
I'm like, what what meeting is that?
Well, find a car, get over there, and, you know, you'll find out.
So I found my way over to this meeting that I was supposed to be at at half hour ago.
And they sit me down and tell me, well, I don't know why you're late, but didn't you know that you're supposed to be helping coordinate the first ever Vatican Vatican executive summit in the Vatican City State for global, economic and political leaders.
And I said, absolutely no.
I did not know about that.
It was quite a surprise, quite unlooked for, not exactly wanted, frankly.
And and yet such an eye opening experience to be sent to do something way beyond your capabilities.
Right?
How the Lord sends you out in his name.
And one thing that really struck me about that event, which I'll I'll share probably a little bit more as we go, but was the hunger.
There were men and women from all strata society, Jewish brethren, our Protestant brethren, men and women, from the Muslim faith, Hindus, and and atheists of goodwill.
But all there to address the global economic crisis and a path forward of how we can live with a set of criteria, set of standards, a set of virtues, if you will, right, in our decision making that would impact and help bring the world back from the brink that we were in back in 2008, 2009, which many of you maybe felt personally perhaps from perhaps lost jobs, prices in the marketplace, or other other realities that we faced back then.
And so the other thing that struck strikes me before I launch in any further on this is just also when I moved to Houston, Texas after that to to help accompany men and women in business and and culture to seek excellence in all all aspects of their life, the first person I met said, father Nathaniel, you know, I don't think we actually need this help.
I I really don't think I think we can be people of integrity, people of justice, people of prudential decision making, people of self mastery, of faith.
You know, I think we can do this without people out there to advise us or or to recommend or to guide us and walk with us.
And, you know, I took that.
I was like, okay.
I'm gonna keep that as a data point.
But the interesting thing was in my ten years here in Houston talking to hundreds of leaders around the city over these years, that was the only person who's ever said that to me.
Everyone else I've ever talked to said we need support, guidance, accompaniment, people who are trained in virtue to help us like the Sherpa guides who take people up Mount Everest.
Right?
Sherpa guides who can't carry you up Mount Everest, but they know more or less the trajectory of the mountain, how the mountain works, you know, the dangers, the path trodden pathways, time tested pathways that are somewhat sure, you know, I e the virtuous way, if you will, of life, to walk with people.
And so I I think that's what I found here and kind of little bit what you're seeing or what I'm gonna share very briefly is the fruit of that experience.
I've had ten years of doing this with people walking with them as a priest, but also a priest who's, been a servant of many men and women who hold roles of influence, of teaching influence, of educational influence, or in business running companies, or or departments of companies or what have you.
So I'm gonna share just a little brief bit on this, some of these ideas real quick with you, and then get to our time for q and a.
So that was a little introduction.
These are just some shots from recent, speaker events with the Lumen Institute where we bring, let's say, a professional athlete, an NFL, NFL, player, a, someone from the media.
We recently had Dan Daniello, founder of the Carlyle Group, who I believe is on the board of Divine Mercy University, here in Houston with us to speak to about 70 executives and business owners and young professionals here in Houston couple weeks ago.
So where we are are trying to encourage men and women that that virtue is possible and that virtue is important.
And to talk with, you know, and have men and women of influence preach that message, if you will, to their peers and to those who aspire to be like them one day.
So I wanna give you just a very brief, share.
I'm not gonna go into this.
This is more you can have a copy of this later.
But in my second book, which I'm currently writing right now and hope to finish the first manuscript next week, if you can keep that in your prayers for me, please, this book will highlight my in my experience in talking with a lot of people, a little bit of a leadership model.
There's a lot of different leadership models out there for growing a leadership.
This model that I'm gonna be proposing in the book has one principle, four behaviors, eight virtues, and four decision making criteria.
I I I share this with you just because for some of you out there wanting to grow in leadership, a little bit of a framework on leadership that combines both the best of the secular world and also the insights from Christian Judeo Christian belief, both ethical, moral, and, of course, even the mystical, level of transformation in Christ, which is at the heart of Christianity.
This model, if if you will, kinda takes into account all all of that.
So the model has one principle that Christ, the good shepherd, is the standard example, the source and summit of leadership.
The real heart behind the true leader, leader no matter what area of leadership we talk about, family life, in ministry, priests, nuns, consecrated individuals as mothers, as fathers, as husbands, as wives, and the different areas you may work in.
From that principle come four key behaviors, having a clear identity and be a transmitter of identity, to be dedicated to the mission, embrace holistic virtue formation.
That's where we're gonna gonna zero in on today together a little bit.
And then forming future generations.
These are four key behaviors that flow from the principle of Christ, the good shepherd.
These are the eight virtues.
Of course, there are many other virtues.
I'm sure many of you could point out other virtues that aren't listed here.
But these are eight virtues I found both through the Lumen Institute and what we do with business leaders and cultural leaders, as well as in practice what a lot in our modern day people need help with.
And I find in the people I've worked with over the deck over more than a decade now, that these resonate a lot with them.
The definitions of these virtues are taken right out of the Lumen Institute handbook, and we even have, like, a little, a little, like, virtue card, which I'm happy to share with you that summarizes in these very short right?
These are very succinct definitions of these virtues.
But this is what we work with the business leaders to forge these virtues in them.
You know, the virtues are like, I'll get back to this a little bit, but the virtues are kinda like muscles of the heart, muscles of character.
And and like all the muscles of the body, they're interconnected together.
And so when like the famous phrase, when you rise and tide raises all ships, when you work on one virtue, it impacts the others.
Right?
So you work on humility or you work on self mastery.
Well, self mastery helps you in your prayer life.
It helps in your marriage.
It helps in, frankly, maybe being a little more slow to make decisions.
It helps you with your prudential decision making, etcetera.
So whether you're working on one virtue or another, they're all they are interconnected as well.
So they're certain things you can do to work on them.
Right?
So just a little snapshot of that.
We can come back to that if you want later.
And then the last thing in the model are the four decision making criteria.
These are right out of the church's social doctrine.
You may may or may not be aware, but there is the catechism of the Catholic church, very large document summarizing what we believe, what we how we live, how we worship, and lastly, how we pray.
Those are the four pillars of the catechism.
But what many people don't know is that there's actually, if you will, a a catechism that flows out of that one on our social living.
How do we how should based on Christian revelation, how should banking somewhat work?
Family life, politics, economic life, our treatment of the environment.
We've had decades old and even centuries old teachings on these things in this book, which you can get online as well, summarizes those those different areas.
But at the front end of that book, that compendium, are the church in the church's view, the four decision making criteria.
So I like to think of this as, you know, as leaders or as servants of others in our society, what are what's a lens or the building blocks to make a decision?
Like, if you wanna talk about, well, let's about you know, let's legalize marijuana or another drug.
Let's work on universal health care or, immigration reform or pick your issue of the day.
Right?
But what is your standard for making decisions?
Well, the church offers us these four very succinct principles that when we make a decision, if we want it based on the gospel and root in the gospel, it should respect all four of these.
So they're very they're they're four highly demanding principles.
I'm not gonna go into depth.
You have them there.
You can have, again, these later on for your own resource.
And and feel free to reference the compendium to go in deeper detail on those.
So that's a little bit of sense of, because I'm coming to gonna zero in on the on virtue as one aspect of leadership.
Okay?
Here are some books references for your future reference.
I happen to throw my my late my last book in there in case you wanted on the future of leadership.
But these other books go into ethics, virtue, a little bit the psych also a little on the psychology of virtue, but not heavily on that theme.
And then the practical, how do you actually live your faith and work?
So these are some references you might find interesting.
The shortest one is not my book, actually.
That's short.
But the shortest one, which I didn't put in here, is the called the vocation of the business leader.
It's a document that the Vatican put out, I wanna say, maybe six years ago.
It's about eighteen, twenty pages.
And it basically takes the four principles I recently I just mentioned these four, human dignity, common good solidarity, and subsidiarity, and it and it talks about how should the business leader, the businessman or woman, live, basically.
Like, and reflect on the nobility of the business person.
So that's another document you may find very accessible.
It's right online.
You can look it up.
These are just two or three quotes.
I'll give you an example of what it speaks about.
Number one, from everyone who's been given much, much will be demanded.
Business people have been given great resources, and the Lord asked them to do great things.
This is part of their vocation.
The vocation of the business person is a genuine human and Christian calling.
Pope Francis calls it a noble vocation, provided that they see themselves challenged by greater meaning in life.
I like number 13 just because it talks about well integrated business leaders.
Doesn't speak about the word virtue, but therein, I think we can see see the in this case, the Vatican and those that prepared the document reflecting on that that just like in any walk of life, business people need to be well rounded.
They need to develop all those talents like Matthew 25 tells us, you know, that God gave each one different talents.
And for those in exercising the professional in the professional life, like many of you are on this call, right, or even in the ministry, that we're called to develop all of our talents, not just some of them, but but all of them to the potential that the Lord asks us.
And that impacts our leadership, and certainly virtue is a big part of that.
Very quickly, because I wanna get some concrete examples, which maybe are the most interesting thing for all of you, that here are three little definitions of virtue.
So if we're gonna talk about virtue in business, well, what is virtue?
Well, virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to the good.
It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of him or herself It's from the catechism.
You will see there's definitely a distinction also between human virtues and supernatural virtues.
I'm not gonna that's a whole talk in itself.
Right?
The definitions are here.
Suffice to say that both the virtues that come almost innately to us, we can develop those.
And then there's also the virtues we receive from baptism, the virtues we receive that are infused or elevated by the power of the holy spirit that ultimately remember that deep down as Christians, that virtue is not just an extra.
It's all part of the beautiful calling to become one with Christ and truly to that's the whole mystical spiritual theology dimension, right of our faith to become refashioned in Christ that people truly see the virtue of Christ in us.
Not because we're, you know, we really, really work hard to be virtuous, but rather because the power of God elevates our nature and and conforms us to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
So we would literally begin to live like Saint Paul said, you know, I I became all things for for each person.
Right?
I became configured to the Lord.
I was as the as in the early church, they used the word Christification.
I was Christified.
Right?
I was conformed, if you will, fashioned to be like Christ.
And so that's the that's that whole well, we're we're participating in that supernatural life when we embrace the life of virtue.
So why virtue is important in business?
Well, I think some of the examples will speak for themselves, but, Lumen Gentium from Vatican two speaks of the role the role of the lady as an example.
Lady are called to make the church present and operative in those places and circumstances where only, and through them that can happen.
As a little example of that, and it kinda gets into some practical examples from business.
But, for example, the the CEO of Hisco Corporation, the current managing director of of Lumen nationally is also here in Houston.
And and Bob is an individual that, you know, Lumen with the help of Lumen coaching, spiritual guidance, sharpening the saw with other leaders around him, has become a man who now leads his meeting with virtue who who uses virtue and the handbook in his meetings with a staff, for example, and other and other such things where you you can really you really can grow.
You can really become different when helped.
Right?
And that's a there's so many examples of that.
I I I picked just a few examples.
There's more examples.
If you like this book, stories and bit stories of virtue in business, there's a number of different areas where they speak about why virtue is important in business.
I picked a couple from the book and a couple from my own experience, but I just wanna share with you.
These are more stories.
So one is one of the benefits of virtue in business is that you adhere to the law.
Okay?
So in other words, you stay out of trouble.
Okay?
That's that's one thing.
I was with in brought in by a Fortune 50 company years ago after the Vatican executive summit.
They were having a lot of global ethical problems, this company.
And it was very interesting that the number two guy of the entire company, he was in charge of that whole of the ethics policy and renewal of the company.
And we sat in his corporate in the corporate office.
And this gentleman who who was Protestant and an active Protestant, we we came to a beautiful conclusion together.
And that is that out there in in the business world, and maybe in other sectors of the world as well, there's the idea that ethics and morality is basically to adhere to the law.
You don't get in trouble.
Like, if you don't get us in trouble as a company, you're good.
Like, we're good.
So do basically the bare minimum, right, that we can get away with whatever as long as we stay within the law.
And that's a very different outlook on life and business, frankly, than as Christians we'd have.
I mean, even Aristotle, who is not Christian, spoke of ethics as the art of excellence, of excellent living.
And so do we that was a thought there that in business, it's important.
I mean, yes.
At a bare minimum, a virtuous life kinda keeps you living according to the law and keep the company afloat, maintain the good of the company that it actually doesn't go under, people keep their jobs, etcetera.
So without virtue, it's very easy that slippery slope, lack of self mastery, lot of personal interest that you can take the company down.
A very concrete example that the number two point here I put here is leaders in particular set the pace of the company.
Right?
There's a company in the Northeast, again, a very large company, probably a Fortune 100 company that they had very drastically different back to back leaders.
The first leader that came out came before the one that followed, he was a very strong man of integrity, a family man, an individual of faith who went to church on Sundays, led by example, dedicated a lot of time to mentor his executive team, was very faithful in a lot of different ways of his life.
The individual who and and and the company soared, frankly.
You know, stocks were up.
People were, looking to work there, etcetera.
Well, the person who took took his place within six months had left his wife for his assistant and was having an affair with the assistant.
Within a year and a half, similar behavior was taking place in his executive team with almost all the executives on the inner executive team.
Some people might say, well, father, well, look.
I mean, at the end of day, people are people and, hey, it's a private life.
Well, you know, that's the funny thing.
It's actually not private, and it always whatever is private always spills over into real life.
Right?
Yeah.
The light daily life including at work.
And I think we all know this from experience.
You don't change when you put on the collar and go to work every day as a priest or as a nun or, you know, go to the office, you know, in your in your business or go into giving therapy listening to people for therapy or whatever it might be.
So this this behavior within two years sank corporate comp competence in the corporation, stocks went down, massive layoffs ensued, and there was a huge turnover at the company.
So what started off as an indiscretion, right, which then turned into a full fledged affair and leaving his wife, and then not being corrected in it, not changing his ways in it, led to a ripple effect, like mold spreads in the dough in among the app rotten apple, if you will, spread.
So it happened as executive, and then that spilled over to the whole company in terms of jobs, performance, etcetera.
So leaders, if they're not virtuous or if they're virtuous, they create a virtue cycle and lead by example.
If they're not virtuous, well, unfortunately, we know it can happen from there.
And, of course, I think all of us out here know how that can be also in the clergy.
Right?
We've seen plenty of examples of of of the good of that sometimes and also the bad of that, unfortunately.
And so that's why we pray for all those in roles of leadership in the church or in any profession.
Right?
So commenting on the next one creates an atmosphere of teamwork, service, and forgiveness.
The virtuous person.
There's actually a I'm not gonna go into much on this one, but there actually is a very strong movement right now in corporate life, even, scholarly articles and consultants who are going around preaching the message of magnanimity and forgiveness in corporate life.
They're seeing that it does hit the numbers of the company.
It does affect performance when people hold grudges, when people don't talk, when they get into silos and don't reconcile.
And it's it's a very real thing.
It's not just a private life thing.
And so among among coworkers.
So that's that's actually making a lot of inroads right now in the corporate life from what I've seen.
Puts people at the center of decision making.
So at the Vatican executive summit, there was a wonder one of the wonder several wonderful women that were there attending.
Her name was Inez.
Inez ran one of one of the largest steel companies in Europe at the time.
And Inez, one of her her her talk to to the audience, and and her presentation was all about putting people at the center of decision making.
And she talked about how they had to they needed to have, they need to have major layoffs.
And so the way they did that was very creative in that they not only gave great compensation packages, but they also those that stayed took pay cuts so that as soon as the economy turned in the next year or two, they would be able to hire back everyone that was laid off.
And that's exactly what happened.
They hired back unless the other unless individuals wanted to work somewhere else, they were able actually to hire people back after that.
So there was this whole spirit of, yes, we have to make some hard decisions for the overall good, but we're gonna do it in a way that's that is what we would certainly consider a Christian way.
But even from a just a humanistic standpoint, respects the dignity of the person, respects the common good, shows, hey, solidarity.
I am my brother and sister's keeper.
I am gonna take responsibility for your good.
Right?
And go shoulder to shoulder with you, etcetera.
And so you that there are ways of living that.
Virtue in business, it creates a culture where people feel valued and respected.
So many examples of this.
I was just at a coffee couple days ago with a friend, and he described how the former CEO of this company was we'll just call call this this individual a bulldozer.
Right?
Did whatever need to be done to get what he wanted.
Get to the top, close deals, get this get the money he wanted out of the company, surround himself with the people that he wanted, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
The impact of this behavior, the impact of just the difference and the utilitarianism at which he treated the people, give you an idea.
A year and a half after he left, one of the women on the management team went to a restaurant with a subordinate who she was taking out to lunch.
And this this, this other woman who worked for her, they were at the table, and they saw two tables over this gentleman who she had the the other woman hadn't seen in a year and a half.
And the subordinate then reported to my friend that her boss, the whole meal was trembling and couldn't look at him.
She was traumatized by the impact of his leadership and the way he was she she was treated by this by this guy.
You know?
So the the way you live, right, it has far reaching implications.
And so a lot of the virtue is an integral part of creating a culture.
I'll give you an example.
Another guy, one of the most famous guys here in Houston in the business world is a is a guy, runs a has run a an oil company here in town, done amazingly well as a company.
And when you see him in a at at a I was very impressed at an event for young people as an example, a young adult program.
We brought him in to give a talk.
He went around and spoke with every single person.
He gave special attention to those who were more on their own and maybe didn't know quite how they fit in at the meeting.
And he would go around and just show love, care, respect, and attention for each person.
Say, you know, that's that's virtue in action.
Right?
That's not something you just have.
It's something that you oftentimes forged and built with the help of God, of course.
This guy happened to be a Catholic as well.
Did actually did a master's degree in theology after he finished running his company.
Just as an aside.
And last example I'd like to give before basically trying to finish and turn it over to q and a is that virtue in business also helps us be bold with our identity as Christians in a natural, balanced way.
Boldness, important.
Right?
Being bold, being authentically who we are, and not being ashamed of who we are.
Some of you probably heard of Peter Friasil.
He's CEO of Polydek International.
It's a mine mining equipment sifting company in in South Carolina.
Peter was a fallen away Christian, went on a retreat with us in in Atlanta, had a encounter with Christ, and has since really come alive in his faith and has not and still runs his company.
But, basically, he and a few Protestant friends created this thing called His Way at Work where they imbue, a culture of care and respect in their companies, based on on on their faith.
And but the example about him I wanted to give you was that he created a business card where it has his name, CEO Polydeck International, etcetera, etcetera, company of integrity, etcetera, etcetera.
But on the back, it says we are we are a Christian based company.
And our model of leadership and why we do what we do for you, the customer, is because we believe in Jesus Christ.
And a lot of people said you shouldn't do that, that people will be offended, that they won't do business with us.
And as a case in point, he tested this with the largest mine in Pakistan.
I believe it was Pakistan, which is owned by two Muslim brothers.
Polydec had 10% of the business when they went over to renegotiate their contract.
And Peter introduced himself, gave him the card, showed him the back of the card, explained, you know, their ethos and what drove Polydeck as a company and its backbone and its heart, the heart, and just kinda gave it up to see what would happen.
And the brothers came back and said, you know, look, we we reconsidered.
We we don't wanna give you we don't wanna renew the 10% of our business to you.
We wanna actually give you a 100% of our business.
You got all the mine equipment is yours.
You we're because why?
Because, well, we as Muslim, we believe different things, but the common values we share, in a lot of ways, they as brothers were saying, I mean, it means a lot to us that you are willing to state what what you stand for.
Right?
And it's not about you.
It's not about the money.
It's about the the person, Jesus, who you stand for and and and what that brings in terms of virtue.
And so all that, again, just to say there are so many examples, and I'm sure many of you out there could give me examples from your experience of how virtue changes things, how virtue elevates the conversation, the atmosphere, the quality of relationship, the trust, etcetera.
You know?
And and, frankly, most people that have gotten high up in business are influential.
Again, it's not universal.
We know all bad examples out there.
But at least, like, here at Houston, I'll tell you this, that almost everyone I've met that's sort of at the top of the ladder of their business area tend to be people that have pursued virtue.
Because otherwise, it's like the the system, you can only be have lack of integrity, to be disloyal, be a liar, be dishonest.
That only gets you so far usually, at least in the business community.
Not saying every community out there perhaps, but in the business world, oftentimes, it will only get you so far.
So those are some examples from my own experience.
I'm just gonna turn it over to q and a here because we have about twenty minutes or so left, and I've been talking.
I hope none of you fell asleep, but it's been forty minutes almost.
And I hope this was enlightening and helpful and insightful in some way for each of you.
Yeah.
Thank you so much, Nathaniel.
Really appreciate your thoughts and overview of different aspects, for June how it affects, business world and leadership.
If you want to put a question, we have a a q and a.
You can just type your question, and I will say it out loud, you know, give it let us hear what it is.
And while we're waiting for people to think of questions, from Nathaniel, I'm wondering if you would tell us a little bit on just your day to day life.
Right?
You work with leaders.
You do some one on one work, small groups.
If you would share a little bit with us kinda that work in the Lumen Institute.
Sure.
Just what that looks like.
I think it would be Sure.
Wonderful.
So the work in the Lumen Institute mirrors quite a bit what we do as legionaries and what we do in kind of Regnum Christie movement methodology, and that is one to one highly personalized attention, small group kinda sharpening the saw together, and engage in mission.
Help the people experience mission their mission from God.
Discover their personal mission, if you will, and help help accompany them, empower them in that.
So so, of course, my most important part of my day is prayer and mass and try to make time for Christ, be filled with him, right, so that I can give him.
That's that's the most important part of my day.
But as soon as I go out, if you will, into the minute outside the house, the community, I probably spend the day somewhere between three and five.
Lumen Institute members or other cultural or business leaders out there and really just sitting with them having coffee.
You'd be surprised.
I'd say 95% of the people I've met have zero, like zero relationship with a priest, a protestant pastor, a minister.
You know, someone that can just sit with them and listen to their story and listen in the company and offer ideas, insights, thoughts, you name it, and all that.
So three to five meetings a day like that, typically, over coffee, over lunch, over breakfast.
You know, you know, usually about an hour long each, typically.
And I'll meet people once a month typically like that, especially those who are in the Luminance Institute who are kind of committing to ongoing development and formation.
Small groups in the Luminance do we do a three hour sharpening the saw meeting once once a month.
So we'll take Jesus as a leader, take one of the virtues.
So this month, the virtue is magnanimity, and we'll talk about look at the gospel from that perspective.
We'll look at some discussion questions.
We will maybe do a case study or two together, especially from their personal experience, if possible.
And and, frankly, just also check-in because the fellowship component is so important too that, you know, as leaders, they it's the expression, and I know it's could be cliche, but it's very real for these people.
It's kinda lonely at the top.
Right?
And I'm not necessarily talking about these big corporate guys or women.
Right?
I mean, some of them are maybe running a 10 or a 20 person company.
Like, you know, I've had people that run, like, a tree trimming company or run a bakery.
Now these aren't not necessarily massive companies.
Then you have other ones that have bigger companies too, but their lives are very similar.
Right?
And and people oftentimes don't know who they can trust because people always wanna get stuff from them.
They want money or they want connections or they want a job or they want a referral, or a letter of recommendation, or you name it.
So I think these people generally appreciate just the TLC, which I think Christ gave because Christ came for all of us, not he came for for people, all social strata and economic backgrounds.
Right?
So and we all have a poverty that needs his love.
And and and so and for a lot of these people don't feel like they're loved or know that they're loved.
So and then lastly, mission.
Like, example, we have our we have a kind of our advent mission coming up where we're gonna be a couple with members, couples, even whole families.
We're going to the homeless a homeless women's shelter together to cook lunch, for the women for the for the women and and for their some of them have children there.
And usually, there's about a 100 women that live in this particular center.
And so we'll be spending, some time there just together and and being in solidarity together with them and loving them, listening to their stories, etcetera.
So that's a little overview.
Yeah.
Thank you for the so we have one comment, wonderful, JB Goetz from, Germany.
Actually, he's listening all the way from Germany.
It is 02:30.
Actually, by now, 02:44AM for him.
God bless you.
He's been out there.
Not fallen asleep, has loved it.
So he's wondering, the legendary brothers you know who are in Germany, do you know if they are aware of Lumen Institute?
Is there any work over in Europe and Germany specifically?
He says he has a group of about a 100 Catholic entrepreneurs and leaders and who might be interested in touching base.
So Sure.
He has a connection Good question.
I appreciate that insight and question and love to connect with you about that.
Certainly, always.
We're looking in fact, we Lumen, we're currently exploring opportunities, possibly to expand, to Latin And South America, to Asia.
There have been a couple of doors open in Asia that we're gonna probably explore this coming year, and Germany would be would be wonderful.
I do know I I don't know all that the legionaries are doing and Regnum Christie are doing in Germany specifically in this area.
I've heard of I've heard of those few things, but nothing I don't know personally anything that's really organized like what Lumen is doing.
And so I did I'd be more than happy to to hear about what this group does and if I can be of any service to them or Lumen could be.
We'd be happy to explore that.
So Yeah.
So they I think it's a hard it's it's a hard work.
I think it seems since we're at the ground.
So it's We yeah.
How do we, Julia, how do we share information as far as, like, contact information?
Do you will you send out, like, the email address or something?
Or Yeah.
The the recording will go out.
We'll post it in all the courses.
We'll send it out, and then there will be information with your name on that.
So Okay.
I think everybody who's been here who's listening, would be there.
So so there's one one other question we had.
Some data says maybe aggressiveness is a little more associated with company leadership versus agreeableness.
Right?
Has not been it's it's really associated as much with, company leadership or successful company leadership.
Maybe aggressiveness seen a little more as a male trade, agreeableness, a little more as a female Right.
Just your comments and thoughts on that.
Well, I think it's I I think I I and I can't speak for other parts of the world such as Germany or other continents in in the in the theme of how how far advanced there is that kind of openness and the progress of having women in in the leadership roles.
I haven't studied that in in-depth.
From here in The United States, what I can tell is there's definitely a a a put there's definitely a growth in that area.
In fact, one of the guys I just with recently, his his CEO is is a woman.
And it's funny.
She she is a very agreeable, gentle woman from what I can tell.
Very professional, very adept at her business, and knows it through and through, but sounds like a very compared to the bulldozer example I gave you, like, the exact opposite.
Team builder, gentle, in in various ways, but also knows how to get the job done in a way.
So I do agree.
I think I think there is a general perception that you have to fight.
Like, it's like a tooth and nail business.
You know, you have to prove you're tough.
You have to almost I don't wanna say be.
I think men men oftentimes are are are they they kinda go into the business world thinking that they have to be that way or you're not gonna have to fight for it.
And and maybe and maybe that's sort of the culture that we create by by doing that sometimes instead of seeing it as, like, valuing each other's strengths.
Like and there are different ways to lead.
Right?
So that would be one of my encouragements to the women on the call is to don't force yourself to be something you're not.
Right?
To to leverage your strengths from God.
Right?
And then bring the feminine genius to the to the boardroom or to the to the Executive Suite.
Right?
To the C Suite, as they say, is important.
I think we you can you can be professional without being, you know, cutthroat.
You know, to be cut you know, be cutthroat to be professional.
I think that's the challenge as Christians, right, is that we can part of our mission is to reclaim the the vision of leadership.
Right?
That you don't have to be that way.
Right?
That it's not actually very effective.
Right?
And and it creates that whole it creates a whole culture of infighting.
But I think from what you're saying, I love this view of a reeducation almost.
Right?
A new shared vision of of that virtue does have an essential part in leadership.
Right?
And it's maybe allowing people from what you say I wanna know what your thoughts are.
It's almost like you have to give people a new sense of you can be virtuous as a leader.
Like Yes.
The Lord will bless that you can be successful.
Yes.
And is that what you find that people may say is, It's like, oh my goodness.
The two actually do work together.
Well, you know, one of the things I hear people talk about a lot or at least they were, you know, may rest in peace Steve Jobs, you know, from, you know, iPad and iPhone, all this stuff.
Right?
Steve Jobs was always I've heard so often a visionary.
Right?
Paint a vision of the future of what's possible.
And now people talk about Elon Musk, right, with SpaceX and Tesla and all the you know, vision of the future, visionary, sort of what's possible.
I think as Christians, we really need to ask God for a visionary spirit that we I think the world is lacking oftentimes a vision.
Right?
Are we out there painting a vision of a world of virtue?
What what a world with virtue could look like?
That that that's, for example, that whole little the four criteria for decision making.
How often do you hear anyone proposing a different way of looking at leadership decision making for tough issues?
I rarely hear anyone talk about other than, well, I feel this way, or we should, or we should this, or this is better, that's better.
But where's where's where's someone painting a bit of a vision of what's possible or giving the tools, like, you know, I propose this.
Let's look at it from this perspective.
I think as Christians, we have to pray for it, but and then also practice, that's a way to in in certain schools of leadership, the art of casting a vision is actually, something you can work on and develop.
And so some some leadership development approaches make that kind of a front end leadership trait that you can work on and develop.
And I think whether we're priests, nuns, consecrated women, lay women, lay men out there, etcetera, that's that's a as Christians, maybe something we could all work on because the world is waiting and hungry for a vision.
And I think we had a lot to offer.
Mhmm.
A lot to offer.
And each of us in our respective areas can cast that vision and still hope and offer a little bit future of the vision, like, on virtue.
Mhmm.
But, you know, it's a I would say you gotta have your elevator pitch, but to some degree, you do.
Yeah.
Wonderful.
So this next, question is is first off from one of our graduates as a thank you for your wonderful talk and how enlightening it's been.
And then the question is, if virtue and leadership is going to be a new focus in the MSP program.
Any more question for me?
And how wonderful that would be.
And it is.
So we have a new leadership psychology concentration that we started this fall, and we're having, one new course.
It's applied leadership skills, which comes out of a self reflection, self leadership, pursuit of virtue model.
Just very much following what you've been talking about and then talking about, transformational leadership, building on that, servant leadership, also pulling in some positive psychology positive leadership, and then just a little more hands on leading groups, people, organizations, what those look like.
So there's three courses as as part of that concentration.
People can also write their capstone on that piece.
So there is that is part of the program since this fall.
So we're excited.
We are we're having a growing number of people from leadership settings and workplace settings.
So, and and love your talk.
Just so applicable.
It's wonderful.
Now we have another question.
Father, anything new to you thinking that you were worked as a layperson.
Right?
And then that question, what make you change your values to to now be a person of virtue.
Right?
How did that happen?
In my in my case Mhmm.
Well, I give a ton well, not all.
Really yeah.
Really.
I give God so, clearly, much credit because I I, yeah, I I was not on a virtuous path at all.
I mean, God really intervened in that.
I think perhaps we've all had our Saint Paul of some form or fashion experiences.
Perhaps I've had mine and and the Lord, I mean, one of the main ones was just a deep experience of Christ's love and his presence in the Eucharist one day that changed me forever.
That, like, this is he he's really here.
And the thing is, I think maybe one thing that came although, you know, my my thought, it wasn't about virtue in that moment.
But I think if you the more you love someone or get to know someone, the more you begin to admire their qualities.
You begin to admire who they are.
I mean, frankly, when, you know, when I when I when I when I dated, you know, year many years ago and all that, naturally began to notice more and more the qualities of my girlfriend.
Noted in the qualities of her heart, the qualities of her way of seeing things.
You know, when as soon as you start to appreciate or value another person, you can't help but start to notice these traits and qualities.
And with Christ, it's all the all the more and all the more intense, I found.
So I think just meeting him and knowing him and getting to know him better, falling in deeper love and respect for him, just drew me to, like, well but, yes, of course, this is what Christianity is.
It's not simply about admiring from a distance an ethical, wonderful figure, God himself for that matter, but literally becoming one with him and becoming totally like him.
You know, respecting your personality and all that you are as a man or a woman, God kinda draws you in.
And so it was real it's really been a journey of twenty years now or so that of just trying to cooperate with, like, him drawing me to embrace his own life and and and me.
Right?
And and to to to live with his magnanimous heart as an example, to live with his humility, and that it's attractive.
I mean, what wasn't attractive before is extremely attractive now to me.
And that's I think that's what god does to us when we seek union with him through prayer and through Eucharist, and and all that.
And and then that then that includes the practical means, right, of self denial, of of forging self mastery and perseverance, doing things you don't like to do, giving up opinions, changing attitudes.
There's a real shedding, if you will, to rise in in his virtue.
So, so we have to cooperate with it.
What I found also very helpful was something we do in the Lumen Institute, but something I've had in my training with the legionaries now for twenty some years is we just had, like, a simple, like, virtue growth program.
So, god, where do you want me to grow?
Well, I think you're called to grow in love.
Well, especially, I'm really impatient on the roads.
Can't keep my attention span more than a few seconds with a person.
Well, let's start working on the patience of Christ's heart.
And how are we gonna how are we gonna do that?
Well, we're gonna do that in in the level of prayer and transcendence through daily prayer, meditating on Christ's patience with people in the gospel, gospel passage every morning.
We're gonna weave it into family life by well, I live with a group of priests.
Maybe you live with a spouse or kids, but or whatever.
But, you know, that one priest gets under my, you know, you know, under my skin, and I'm just gonna pray for that person when I'm talking to them next time.
I'm gonna weave it into that relationship.
And we've been the patient driving on the road on the I 45 down to Houston.
So I'm going to pray in our father instead of honking or try to, you know, speed around that person when they cut me off.
I'm gonna weave it into that daily fabric of my daily life and the people I interact with.
And so, you're you begin intentionally cooperating with the Holy Spirit to forge the virtue where you notice it most.
Right?
Where where you see the possibility most.
And it begins you begin to see the change, you know, day by day, little by little, become that more in my case, then I'm just giving an example of patience as one aspect of love, the virtue of love.
So Wonderful.
Hope that helps.
Thank you very, very much.
Yeah.
I really appreciate that that insight and sharing.
I don't see another question at the moment.
So, if there are more questions, then we'll be posting the talk.
People can email you directly, I'm sure.
Right?
It's would it be okay if they have Mhmm.
Want to connect.
Another, person from Germany is interested in connecting with you.
The other questions, you can reach out to me or reach out to you directly or I can forward.
I wanna say thank you again so You're welcome.
Very much for sharing with us tonight and just love casting that vision of virtue and leadership and that it's possible and that it's supposed to be what we are doing.
It will have wonderful effects on, all kinds of settings in this, worker ministry.
So I really, really appreciate that and, wish you all the best for your work in ministry.
And, so good to hear you share today.
Really appreciate that.
And Thank you.
Invite everybody who's in the talk or who's listening and who will be listening later.
Have a good night, Paul.
God bless everyone.
Take care.