May 9, 2025 l Manila Times
The passing of Pope Francis saw the world mourning with the Catholic Church. It was one rare moment when leaders of different countries put aside their differences to pay tribute to a life well lived.
It was also a moment to reflect on the Holy Father’s leadership. As Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, he lived a modest life, which he carried on through his papacy. As spiritual leader of the world’s 1.41 billion Catholics, he advocated for social justice and preferential options for the poor.
Beyond this, he took a moral stand on the most difficult global issues such as climate change, technology, diversity, and inclusion.
In the 1970s, Bob Marley, a proponent of reggae music, took the same path. The Jamaican singer-songwriter used his music to promote social justice. He wrote songs for peace and unity.
He performed in two important concerts to address political tensions and unite strongly opposing parties. One of these events was the Smile Jamaica Concert when then-Jamaican prime minister Michael Manley and his political rival Edward Seaga were called onstage together. This sent a powerful message of peace and reconciliation in a nation struggling with unrest and violence.
According to management guru Peter Drucker, true leaders should demonstrate integrity while engaging in ethical behavior that inspires others. A good leader can bring people together towards a shared mission. Leading by example is key.
Drucker said: “Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right thing.”
Furthermore, a good leader is humble, strategic and results-oriented.
Over the past decades, different issues have emerged, challenging leaders today. Examples are climate change, cybersecurity, and food se-curity. Amid these problems, many agree that Drucker’s definition of good leadership still rings true.
However, there are three leadership qualities that are most relevant today.
In today’s volatile environment, decisiveness, or the ability to make the right decisions at the right time, is among the most important traits of an effective leader. The Covid-19 pandemic subjected the leadership skills of global leaders to a real, hard test.
Emerging as a very effective leader during the pandemic was New Zealand’s former prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. She is noted for her de-cisive actions, clear communication, and human touch, which helped New Zealand limit Covid-19 deaths and navigate the aftermath of the Christchurch Mosque shootings.
Tech-savviness, particularly the ability to leverage on data and technology to enable strategic decisions, is an essential leadership trait in the digital age. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings’ data-driven strategies have led to the subscription-based streaming service’s revenue skyrocketing from $3.1 billion in 2011 to over $33.7 billion in 2023.
With the unrest and conflicts in contemporary society, the most important and much-needed leadership trait is the ability to bring people together. This is a leader with convening authority, leading people towards the common good.
Pope Francis and Bob Marley demonstrated how to effectively bring people together for the common good. The most critical question though is, “How do you define common good?”
How a leader defines common good can be relative and subjective. According to Pope Francis, common good is reached when we work to-gether to improve the well-being of people in society and the world. This ought to be the common good definition that will serve as a north star for all leaders, corporate or global.
***The views expressed herein are her own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of her office as well as FINEX. For comments, email gsantosifc@gmail.com. Photo is from Pinterest.