Millions of Catholics around the world received the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI to resign as the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church – a move reportedly precedented by Pope Gregory XII 598 years ago in 1415. He was replaced by Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, who became elected as Pope Francis, the 266th Pope . The current discourse hereby aims to research on Pope Francis, a leader one admires. The paper would hereby provide explanations on whether the leader's style is transactional or transformational. In addition, the type of leadership characteristics that Pope Francis demonstrates would also be expounded. Finally, the discourse would also determine what aspects of servant leadership Pope Francis evidently exhibits.
Transactional Versus Transformational Leadership
In the article written by Den Hartog, Van Muijen, & Koopman (1997), the transactional leader was aptly described as entailing “an exchange between leader and follower. Followers receive certain valued outcomes (e.g. wages, prestige) when they act according to their leader's wishes” . On the other hand, transformational leaders were explicitly noted to manifest abilities to inspire subordinates to achieve, not only that which is expected; but even to surpass identified goals. Under transformational leadership, the leaders genuinely manifests capabilities to motivate, empower, increase productivity, and attain personal and professional growth (exhibited through an improvement in the subordinates’ self-image) .
Based on the differentiating characteristics and descriptions provided between transactional and transformational leaders, one could evaluate that Pope Francis definitely exhibits the transformational leadership style. For one, as emphasized by Masi & Cooke (2000), transformational leaders apparently manifest behavioral characteristics particularly exhibiting charismatic traits. Gauging from the multitude of followers that wait to get a glimpse of the Pope outside the Vatican or even during his regular tour of duty, it is clearly evident that Pope Francis exudes an innate aura of charisma and appeal to the audience.
Pope Francis’ Leadership Characteristics
Concurrently, evidence of Pope Francis’ transformational leadership style is the remarkable deviation of his papal practice from those of his predecessors. As emphasized, “by choosing the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, the Pope revealed his intention to promote simplicity, the protection of the poor, humility, and most importantly, the rebuilding of the Church” (Macedonio, 2013, par. 2). Pope Francis was reported to have preferred donning a simple white vestment when he first emerged from the Vatican window to be greeted by millions of anticipating Catholic devotees. Likewise, he indicated his decision to recide in a simpler domicile to get away from the extreme opulence of the papal palance. Reports have circulated that even as a Cardinal, he was frequently seen commuting in public transportation to be with the crowd; rather than maintain a private vehicle for his transport.
Therefore, Pope Francis could be evaluated as embodying the characteristics and traits of St. Francis of Assisi, especially in being able to lead in humility, simplicity, and poverty. These traits seem to be a challenge for the Pope as the Supreme Pontiff; but his genuine concern to serve the faithful needs of the people apparently enables him to lead effectively and successfully.
It just goes to show that leading does not necessarily need all the wealth and trimmings that are external to the body or to one’s inner self. Pope Francis’ dedication and commitment to be a servant first to be able to perfectly embody the ideal traits of a true leader.
Servant Leadership Manifested by Pope Francis
According to Greenleaf, the promoter of servant leadership, “the servant-leader is servant first It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” . The definition perfectly matches Pope Francis’ exemplification of his leadership style. This was corroborated by Macedonio (2013) who asserted that “as a servant leader, Pope Francis will be an exemplar for all Catholics to emulate, as he will revitalize and repair the Church through an active leadership style of leadership by example” (par. 2). By being seen by world leaders to be directly involved in charity works, in helping the impoverished, by being in the company of prisoners, by evangelizing people from diverse cultures and religious affiliations, it is asserted that by serving the needs of the lowly, Pope Francis serves the most high: God Almighty.
Conclusion
The paper has successfully achieved its aim of delving into the leadership style of Pope Francis, the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church. Explanations were provided to confirm that Pope Francis manifests the transformational syle; as well as the servant leadership style through the ideals of the saint whose priorities he chose to embody: poverty, humility, simplicity, and the quest to revitalize and reform the Church to a new era. From these, it could be asserted that a leader could choose to inculcate traits that are unconventional for a world leader; yet, still be able to achieve what was originally designed for him to fulfill.
References
Den Hartog, D., Van Muijen, J., & Koopman, P. (1997). Transactional versus transformational leadership: An analysis of the MLQ. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 70, 19-34.
Greenleaf, R. (n.d.). What Is Servant Leadership? Retrieved from www.greenleaf.org: https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/
Macedonio, S. (2013, April 20). Leadership in the Papacy: Pope Francis I, The Servant Leader. Harvard Leadership Magazine, p. 1.
Masi, R., & Cooke, R. (2000). Effects of Transformational Leadership on Subordinate Motivation, Empowering Norms, and Orgnizational Productivity. The International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 8, No. 1, 16-47.
