Leaders lead people, not Institutions. Jeffrey Krames demonstrates how this is the philosophy of Pope Francis by citing 12 leadership lessons from the Pope’s life. Some of the lessons are standard business common sense, others reflect the counter- cultural and surprising leadership secrets. Some of the lessons are • Lead with Humility • Don’t Change – reinvent • Choose Pragmatism over ideology The book is short- as it should be Enjoy summary

1. Some Impressionistic takes from the book of Jeffrey A. Krames
“Lead with Humility”
by Ramki – ramaddster@gmail.com

2. About the Author
Jeffrey A. Krames is the
bestselling author of The
Rumsfeld Way, The Welch
Way, Jack Welch and the 4 E’s
of Leadership, and other popular
business books. He has been
published in The New York
Times, The Wall Street
Journal, Barron’s, Financial
Times, Chicago Tribune,
and Los Angeles Times and
been interviewed by Fox News,
CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, A&E’s
Biography, the BBC, and other
major media outlets.

3. Prelude
When "Fortune "announced its list of the World's Greatest Leaders, the top
spot was awarded--not to a captain of industry--but to the new pontiff.
In the year since his election, Pope Francis earned that accolade...and more.
He has achieved the remarkable: breathed life into an aging institution,
reinvigorated a global base, and created real hope for the future.
How did a man who spent his life laboring in slums far from the Vatican
manage to do this and so quickly? The answer lies in his humility--and the
simple principles that spring from it. "Lead with Humility" explores 12 of these
principles and shows how leaders and managers can adapt them for the
workplace with equally impressive results.
They include: Don't stand over your employees--sit down with them - Avoid
insularity - Don't judge--assess - Take care of people, not lobbies - Go where
you are needed - Temper ideology with pragmatism - Don't change--reinvent! -
The boldest course can be the most prudent - And more Pope Francis's ability
to inspire the world is unprecedented in modern times. "Lead with Humility"
reveals the power of his methods, and helps anyone lead with grace and
greater authenticity.

4. 1
Lead with Humility

5. Lead with Humility
 Pope Francis believes that humility is the single most
important leadership characteristic and that everyone should
learn to be more humble.
 For his first public appearance as pope, Francis chose not to
stand on a platform that would raise him higher than other
cardinals.
 Before addressing the crowd, he requested a prayer for
himself, a decidedly untraditional gesture.
 Few corporate leaders demonstrate that kind of humility.
Examples include former eBay CEO Meg Whitman,
Travelocity’s former CEO Michelle Peluso and Tony Hsieh of
Zappos, who all chose to work out of cubicles among their
employees.

6. Lead with Humility
 Pope Francis considers himself a servant. Humble
leaders understand the distinction between issuing
orders to employees and helping them succeed.
 Leaders who serve others acknowledge that
productive dialogue requires mutual respect.
 Pope Francis believes that lowering your defenses
and withholding judgment helps you overcome
obstacles to good communication.
“Pope Francis shows himself to be a leader who
understands that leaders lead people, not institutions.

8. 2
Smell Like your Flock

9. Smell Like your Flock
 Pope Francis forged his commitment to helping the less
fortunate when he was an assistant bishop in Buenos Aires.
 Determined to increase the Roman Catholic Church’s
involvement in the city’s hazardous slums, Bergoglio targeted
drug use – in particular, the use of paco, a form of cocaine
paste.
 The Church created a rehab center and set up two farms that
hired former addicts. Another program helped young people
gain apprenticeships to learn a profession.
 When Padre Pepe, a veteran priest, received death threats
about his crusade against drugs, Bergoglio fearlessly held an
outdoor Mass and condemned drug dealers.
 The future pope spent time in the slums with his parishioners,
walking the streets and even washing the feet of young
addicts.

10. Smell Like your Flock
 The leaders of Tesco PLC, England’s largest grocery retailer,
also work to understand their “flock.”
 For one week a year, its executives and managers work as
checkout clerks, customer service reps, warehouse clerks,
and the like.
 The “Tesco Week in Store Together” (TWIST) program
increases profits and helps leaders relate authentically to
their employees and customers.

11. 3
Who Am I to Judge

12. Who Am I to Judge ?
 Pope Francis’s statement in 2013 that the church should not
condemn homosexuals illustrates his belief that “judging” and
“assessment” are not the same.
 Pope Francis leaves judging to a higher power, but doesn’t
hesitate to make appropriate assessments or decisions. Leaders’
critical responsibilities include assessing their employees.
 Sound assessment requires dialogue and interaction, not just
yearly performance reviews.
 Pope Francis advocates, “respectful and compassionate
listening.”
 Academic research strongly supports his philosophy of focusing
on employees’ positive qualities and finding ways to strengthen
them.
 Don’t dwell on the negative; invest in and support the positive to
gain better employees who are more loyal.

13. 4
Don’t change- Reinvent

14. Don’t Change - Reinvent
 Pope Francis’s speech at the 2013 conclave indicated that he was
a forward thinker who favored change. He said that the church
should practice greater outreach.
 This resonated with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, who
whispered, “That’s what we need.”
 By becoming the first pope to take the name Francis, Bergoglio
suggested the power of personal reinvention and redemption.
 Pope Francis has called on the church to reassess its views about
gay marriage, contraception and divorce. He wants it to question
whether it is clinging to a potentially outdated ideology.
 To parallel this kind of leadership thinking, examine whether your
business practices remain relevant or reflect a status quo that your
company has always protected. Consider whether you should
retain employees who resist change and protect their own careers
rather than your organization.

15. 5
Make Inclusion a Top Priority

16. Make Inclusion a Top-Priority
 Bergoglio’s experiences as the “Bishop of the Slums” changed him.
 The future pope established a precedent of interacting with people on
the periphery of society.
 Outreach begins with clergy recognizing that they must not “act like
bureaucrats or government officials.” Pope Francis even told an
archbishop that he should go out at night to help feed and clothe the
poor.
 To the pope, outreach includes approaching nonreligious Catholics who
have left the church. Inclusion means seeking input on decision making.
 Pope Francis assembled a team of eight cardinals to advise him on
world issues.
 In your firm, establish a panel to help you determine policy. Appoint
diverse representatives, including people who aren’t afraid to challenge
you.
“It is not only in Francis’s world that people come first; if you lead people,
then they are your top priority, as well.”

17. 6
Avoid Insularity

18. Avoid Insularity
 The Catholic Church has been accused of being “stuck in motion” and
unwilling to entertain meaningful change. Some companies also refuse
to accept outside help or to acknowledge that problems exist, but no
organization or individual has all the answers.
 Pope Francis believes that too much self-sufficiency indicates a lack of
trust in God’s presence.
 You can be a strong leader while filled with self-doubt and
vulnerability.
 Humility contributes to personal growth and makes you more likely to
seek help.
 Don’t let insularity infect your organization, as can happen if you set up
departments to compete with each other.
 Arrange informal meetings and lunches so people from different areas
can get to know each other.
“Giving all of your people a greater understanding of what their colleagues
contribute to the organization is your best chance of eliminating inward focused
insularity.”

19. 7
Choose Pragmatism over Ideology

20. Choose Pragmatism over Ideology
 Pope Francis’s belief that the church must acknowledge
reality and make appropriate, proactive adjustments applies
to every organization.
 Clinging to a particular ideology or set of procedures while
denying the actuality of change only holds an organization
back, regardless of its size.
 Past performance is no guarantee of future success. Just ask
BlackBerry, which once dominated the mobile-device market.
Pragmatists face reality.
 Pope Francis recognizes that to succeed he must understand
politics.
 He encourages people to explore the culture of their
organization.

21. 8
Employ the Optics of Decision Making

22. Employ the Optics of the Decision Making
 Pope Francis deliberately conveys his humility.
 For instance, by taking public transportation as a bishop, he
became more accessible – and more human – to his
followers.
 Pope Francis incarnates the spiritual consciousness of the
Catholic Church, but knows that he also must be a “political
animal.”
 He recognizes that leaders must make decisions that have
serious consequences, and he believes that impetuousness
is harmful.
 He says a rash decision he made years ago stemmed from
immaturity and created the misperception that he is
“ultraconservative.”

23. Employ the Optics of the Decision Making
 The need to make smart, deliberate decisions applies to how
leaders hire top people.
 Michael Eisner became CEO of Disney in 1984 following Walt
Disney’s death.
 Eisner’s hiring of Frank Wells to be second in command sent
a message that the future of the entire company wasn’t only
in Eisner’s hands.
 Wells was so competent that, after he died in an accident in
1994, Disney struggled and Eisner eventually lost his job.
 People decisions are always a leader’s top priority.

24. 9
Run your
Organization like a
Field Hospital

25. Run your organization like a Field Hospital
 Pope Francis compares the church to a hospital that treats the
spiritually wounded just as a mobile medical unit tends to the
physically wounded on the front lines in a war.
 He wants the clergy to help those in financial or relationship
difficulties and those who must deal with the death of a loved
one. He believes a worthy servant of the people acts with a
sense of urgency.
 As technology reduces opportunities for personal contact, have
your employees spend time in the field with customers.
 Trust your people to make sound, independent decisions.
 Micromanaging hurts performance and shows your mistrust in
those you lead.
 As with a field hospital, you cannot make every critical decision.
 You must trust subordinates with authority over serious matters.

26. 10
Live on the Frontier

27. Live on the Frontier
 Pope Francis uses the word “frontier” to suggest people who live
on “the periphery.”
 He means this literally – as with a particular nun who lived for
years among the poor – and figuratively – as with nonconformist
people who make counterintuitive decisions or flaunt
conventional wisdom. People with experience on the frontier –
either literally or figuratively – trust their ability to make
decisions.
 They know when hesitation is not an option.
 Effective leaders such as Pope Francis know how to make
unorthodox decisions.
 They have the confidence and experience to act in the best
interests of their organizations.
 Life on the frontier means putting your needs and desires aside
to serve others

28. 11
Confront Adversity Head On

29. Confront Adversity Head-on
 In March 2014, Pope Francis knelt and confessed publicly.
 He thus defined himself as a sinner – who could be
redeemed through the Catholic rite of confession – and as
someone who deserves forgiveness because “by extension,
everyone is a sinner.”
 The leader of the Catholic Church demonstrated that he
doesn’t put himself above anyone else.
 Francis uses a similar strategy to deal with adversity.
 Pope Francis lost a lung as a teenager. Yet, he worked in a
stocking factory daily after school.
 He learned from an early age to “turn...setbacks into
opportunities to grow.”

30. Confront Adversity Head-on
 He has worked to deal evenhandedly with the sexual abuse
scandal that plagued the church.
 He created an eight-person commission that notably included
four women to help the Church face sexual-abuse issues.
 Leaders can’t waste time when they face a divisive crisis;
they must be prompt and attentive.
 Delaying action raises suspicion and invites criticism.
 The pope’s rapid response illustrates the principle that
“serious matters require serious and timely action.”
 Never hesitate when faced with a difficult decision or
circumstances.
 Listen to your advisers, trust your “frontier” instincts and take
action

31. 12
Pay Attention to
Non Customers

32. Pay attention to Non Customers
 Under Pope Francis, the church has reached out to
nonmembers and to lapsed Catholics.
 He uses the Internet and social media to raise the Church’s
profile.
 Business author Peter Drucker holds that “90% of the
information” that organizations assemble comes from “inside
the organization.”
 Such unintentional navel-gazing holds firms and other
organizations back; how can you see where you need to
make progress if all your descriptions are self-descriptions?

33. Pay attention to Non Customers
 To build communication, invite several of your biggest
customers to address your managers about their most
pressing concerns.
 That’s only the first step at looking for your organization from
the outside in.
 To gain a more accurate self-portrait, use whatever method
you prefer to learn what noncustomers think of your
organization.
 Raise your profile outside your immediate market.
 Pope Francis draws non-Catholics’ positive attention to the
church with his humility, his outreach and his example of
compassionate leadership

35. Pope Francis’s – 12 Lessons – Approach to Leadership
 First, lead from a position of humility.
 Second, spend time on the front lines.
 Third, identify with your people. Productive dialogue requires mutual
respect.
 Fourth, embrace the potential of personal and organizational reinvention.
 Fifth, choose trusted advisers who can help you make good decisions &
aren’t afraid to tell you when they think you’re wrong.
 Sixth, don’t allow insularity to infect your organization.
 Seventh, be alert, practical and proactive, so your competitors don’t overrun
you.
 Eighth, look like a leader. Understand the politics of your organization so
you can resolve conflicts.
 The ninth lesson: Delegate and trust your people. Don’t micromanage.
 Tenth, your role as a leader is to serve others.
 Eleventh, you can’t hide from adversity. Deal with it promptly and decisively.
 Twelfth, reach out to your customers and to noncustomers, as well.

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