Called to Lead Others in Challenging Times – Ignatian Leadership Programme

‘It has been a long and unforgettable journey, helping us to grow as discerning leaders’.

This is how one of the participants on the course summed up the benefit of the ILP. The pilot programme, sponsored by JECSE, had begun more than two years ago, but due to the pandemic’s limitation on travel, it only finished as recently as March ‘23. The delays, however, did not dampen people’s enthusiasm or the quality of their experience. The course enabled participants not only to develop their leadership competences and skills but also to raise their self-awareness and confidence in exercising leadership. In the process of working with others, they managed to build a learning community united in a common mission to serve our schools.

There were 17 participants on the course, coming from 14 different Provinces and Regions and holding leadership positions in our schools and educational networks. Together they took a journey through time and space, meeting in: October 2021 – Portugal, March 2022 – Spain, October 2022 – Malta, March 2023 – Lebanon. Between the weeklong on site modules, they met in small online groups and completed tasks in their school communities that enabled them to put their knowledge into practice.

What else was so unique about this training? While most leadership trainings emphasize the technical and skills-based preparation of leaders, the JECSE training concentrated on Ignatian perspectives of leadership. That is to say, the programme is inspired by Ignatian spirituality as it directs us towards our deepest vocation to serve others. During the programme, the participants were invited to reflect on:

  • themselves, their call to leadership and how to respond more freely in service,
  • their relationships as leaders and how to grow in freedom, trust and love within their teams,
  • the contexts of their institutions, to see that God is at work in their schools,
  • the unknown – to learn how to grow in courage and trust as people of consolation, able to lead others in this uncertain and changing World.

All the participants spoke highly of the programme. They developed both personally and professionally from the experience and gained a deeper understanding of their own leadership and the institutions they serve. Although most of the participants have been in leadership positions for many years many felt that it was this experience that gave them the confidence to be truly Ignatian leaders.

We are now inviting new participants to apply for the next cycle of the Ignatian Leadership Programme 2023-2024.

Enhanced by the lessons learned from the pilot programme, and more attuned to the needs of our educational leaders, we hope that the new programme will be met with great interest.
For more information: https://jecse.org/ignatian-leadership-programme/

“Ignatian Leadership Programme organizado por JECSE es un programa facilitador de una experiencia de transformación personal. Este programa es catalizador de una experiencia de crecimiento en red, con otras personas que también desempeñan funciones de  líderazgo en escuelas jesuitas de Europa.

Este programa te permite tomar tiempo para reflexionar, meditar y orar junto con otras personas sobre tu propia experiencia como líder al tiempo que te facilita claves y herramientas tanto ignacianas como otras que facilitan la mejora de este liderazgo. En definitiva es un programa que en dinámica de contemplación sobre tus propias acciones como líder te facilitará  procesos para discernir cómo puedes mejorar en tu respuesta como líder de una organización jesuita en este mundo tan cambiante y complejo. 

En definitiva, ILP es un programa que te ofrece la oportunidad para poder avanzar en el camino de búsqueda de la mejor respuesta posible que puedes dar como líder de una escuela jesuita de Europa.” Amaia Arzamendi, Spain

“Le programme de leadership ignatien JECSE nous a permis de grandir dans le leadership ignatien. En partant ensemble, nous avons renforcé notre vocation à repousser les limites, à diriger l’équipe qui nous a été confiée de manière réconfortante, et à mettre la spiritualité ignatienne au centre de ce leadership.” Anne-Sophie De Decker