"Heroic Leadership"..."Magis Leadership"? Or, the uniquely Ignatian approach to leadership that anyone can follow

The "Heroic Leadership Model" can best be described as a leadership model that everyone can use; it's more of a way of living one's life than a way of leading. Central to the model is the idea that we should "live for more." That is, we should strive for something greater than ourselves.

While each of the leadership models we have so far discussed has its merits, it turns out that the best leadership model for me remains the Heroic Leadership Model. Outlined by Chris Lowney in his book, Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company That Changed the World, the model discusses the various leadership and self-development practices of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, over their lengthy and austere history.

Notably, and perhaps most importantly, "Heroic Leadership Model" is a misnomer. In fact, I want to start out by renaming the model for my own purposes so as to better understand its processes. In order to do that, we need to take a quick look at the history of the Jesuits. (Please note that the following is adapted from a short print article entitled "Ignatius and His Exercises" by Barry Barfield.)

In the 1500s, Iñigo of Loyola was a Basque warrior with a love of chivalry and the knightly code of conduct (bravery, honor, gallantry, etc.). Though he was the youngest of thirteen children and it would have thus been the custom of the day for him to become a priest, his worldly exploits quickly put an end to that. Badly wounded by a cannonball in a battle with the French, he suffered two excruciating operations to set his shattered leg. During his recovery, he engaged in numerous vivid daydreams that set about his personal conversion and formed the basis of his work in the Spiritual Exercises, a sort of guidebook toward discernment that has since become a model for meditation used by the Society of Jesus, the religious order which he founded, and other organizations worldwide, both religious and nonreligious.

One of the key movements in the Spiritual Exercises is toward what St. Ignatius called "the magis," best understood as its direct Latin translation: "the more." This could easily be regarded as the sole point of Ignatian spirituality, of Ignatian living: to constantly be striving for "the more"; more thoughtful, open, and loving relationships, more open and direct communication, more of a difference made to our communities, more of a difference made for others, more of everything good in our lives. And importantly, St. Ignatius meant for this to be applied in every aspect of our lives; to him, spirituality was as much about our personal living as it was about our relationships with God.

So I propose that we rename the "Heroic Leadership Model" as the "Magis Leadership Model," the better to understand more deeply the point which Mr. Lowney is attempting to get across in his book.




Essentially, Lowney divides his leadership "way of proceeding" into four distinct parts, which, in sum, he calls "The Four Principles forming an Integrated Way of Living,"which is itself a very Ignatian idea. Following each principle is a quote from the author and a paraphrase of the quote.¹

Self-awareness. "Leaders thrive by understanding who they are and what they value, by becoming aware of unhealthy blind spots or weaknesses that can derail them, and by cultivating the habit of continuous self-reflection and learning."

Essentially, leadership begins with "self-leadership." That is, "overcoming oneself," "finding oneself," and "self-acceptance" are all critically-important aspects of being a leader. By the way, Lowney believes that we are all leaders, especially in that we are all leaders of our own destinies, poised to make unique impacts in our own lives.

Ingenuity. "Leaders make themselves and others comfortable in a changing world. They eagerly explore new ideas, approaches, and cultures rather than shrink defensively from what lurks around life’s next corner. Anchored by nonnegotiable principles and values, they cultivate the “indifference” that allows them to adapt confidently." 

Leaders are always ready to adapt and make changes. They aren't held or bound by biases or prejudices, and they're always available to move when the opportunity is right. Notably, this ties in well with the early Jesuits, who were always ready to go to a new location at a moment's notice. For example, Francis Xavier was sent by Ignatius of Loyola on a lengthy and potentially-dangerous mission to the Far East. He was, per legend, ready to go at a moment's notice.

Love. "Leaders face the world with a confident, healthy sense of themselves as endowed with talent, dignity, and the potential to lead. They find these attributes in others and passionately commit to honoring and unlocking the potential they find in themselves and in others. They create environments bound and energized by loyalty, affection, and mutual support – places marked by “greater love than fear.” 

Leaders are able to see potential in others and are committed to unlocking that potential through individual empowerment. So creativity, passion, and loyalty should all be common themes. Leaders don't treat other people well because they need them to do things for them. They do so because they legitimately want to see other people develop and grow.

Heroism. "Leaders imagine an inspiring future and strive to shape it rather than passively watching the future happen around them. They extract gold from opportunities at hand rather than waiting for golden opportunity to be handed to them."

Here's where the "magis" comes in. Leaders always strive for the more. They do "ordinary acts with great love." They cultivate imagination and, most importantly, they work for something greater than themselves. Jesuits use the Latin phrase "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam"--"for the greater glory of God." This phrase need not be religious; in fact, it can mean simply that in all of our actions, in all of our relationships, in all of our dealings, in all of our lives, we should be moving toward some greater purpose, some higher goal. We should be embracing the "magis," and moving toward something the likes of which we have never seen.

So that's the "Heroic Leadership Model." Do you see how it might be better renamed to the "Magis Leadership Model"? Certainly, "heroism" doesn't capture the full meaning behind the point which Mr. Chris Lowney is attempting to make. As such, maybe "magis" is a better fit.

Or maybe not.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments.

Anyway, I think it would work better, and you wouldn't believe the excitement I felt when I discovered the full implications of this model. As soon as I saw mention of the word "magis," eureka happened. As a bit of background, I attended a Jesuit high school, Gonzaga Preparatory School, in Spokane, Washington. I was deeply involved in Campus Ministry, through retreat leadership and other opportunities, and throughout my high school career, I was constantly challenged to work "A.M.D.G."--"for the greater glory of God." As a freshman, it seemed like just another veiled ploy to get me to go to Mass. But gradually, as months and years passed and I learned more about Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuits, it began to make more sense. It wasn't about God. Or at least, it wasn't only about God. It was about passion. Do all things with the utmost passion, so as to strive or work toward something greater than yourself. Then during my senior year, I attended the Magis retreat, put on by Campus Ministry and based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. And it all became real not just in theory, but in practice.

The contemplative experience of "Magis," a weekend retreat experience for seniors at my high school in Spokane, led a greater understanding of what "the more" means within the context of one's individual life experience. "Magis," a Latin word meaning "the more," can best be described as a constant striving for whatever brings about some greater purpose. "Do all things with the utmost passion, so as to strive or work toward something greater than yourself."

This is a model for ordinary people. It's one that everyone can use, regardless of religious background, socioeconomic status, race, gender, identity, culture. It's one that reaches to all individuals, wherever they may be in life. And it seeks not to transform people into leaders, but to unlock the essential leadership potential that exists within each and every one of us. Because each person leads his or her own individual life. And we certainly can lead it by simply going through the motions of life without ever truly discovering any deeper meaning or purpose. But why not live each day with passion and purpose?

Wow, does this fit perfectly. This leadership model embodies not just my leadership style, but my way of living. I strive every day to make sure that I'm doing my best--both for myself and for others. The journey of "finding myself," which I view to be a perpetually-incomplete journey, is one with which I am very involved, and one which I care about deeply. Indeed, self-reflection forms an indelible part of my being. I try hard to be open. To be open to new ideas, to be open to change, to be open to others. It's a hard task, but, of course, "you have to work at it." I try to treat others with the essential dignity that they deserve. That means seeing their potential and working to unlock their passion. In fact, I view my purpose as a leader as building positive opportunities for others as much as I view it as building community. Finally, I work to obtain the "magis" every day--through my interactions with others and through my own actions and reactions to events.

I like that this model meets people where they are. I like that it strives to build leaders who are servants not just of themselves, but of their communities. Of their friends, their families, of God, and of everyone else. I like that this leadership style isn't just about your own self-development, but about your bringing out the best qualities of others.

You know, it's just one of those things that I think "just works." The Heroic/"Magis" Leadership Model builds leaders (that is, individuals, as all people are leaders) who are passionate, who are committed, who are open, who love others, who know their purpose in life, who live for and with others. It builds people who build the "more" every day.

Now, sure, there are a few problems.

The name is one. "Heroic" leads people to believe something totally different from what this leadership model would support. Here, Mr. Lowney chose the wrong word, and I've outlined my objections to his use of the "heroic" term already.

The other problem would be Mr. Lowney's insistence that this awesome, great, life-changing view of leadership (it almost reads like a self-help book) be applied to business situations. Okay, sure. I don't have a problem with that. But why not apply it to all aspects of life, to all people? Why not build it into something more than a "leadership model"? Why not build it into a "life model"? Here, I think Chris Lowney could have done a bit better of a job of emphasizing the nature of this uniquely Ignatian approach to leadership as more of a way of ordering one's life than a way of ordering one's business dealings.

In the end, though, this just fits so well. It's so perfect. There are almost no words to describe how well I think this fits my view of leadership--and my view of the world. So I rest my case.

I hope that you too can understand the value of "seeking the magis" in every aspect of life.


¹"Leadership, Ignatian Way." Leadership, Ignatian Way. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2013.