Creating Community to Realize Our Potential

Wade Westwood

ORGL 522 Leadership & Community

Gonzaga University

Dr. Mary Stover

20 October 2023

Philosophy on Leadership and Community

In physics, potential energy is the energy that represents the capability of an object due to its position within a system. Like how a ball resting at the top of a ramp may be capable of rolling at great speeds, if only given a little nudge to overcome its inertial state. With a little help, the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, or energy in motion. For me, community represents that little bit of help that individuals need to be put into motion to achieve their potential. Newton’s first law states that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. For individuals, community provides the nudge that we need – the outside force – to put us into motion or to correct our trajectory. Community at its finest unlocks a person’s potential and enables the achievement of the fullest version of their self. However, in violation of the physical laws of nature, energy is not conserved in community; in community, it is possible that the collective “we” is greater than the sum total of our individual efforts and contributions. 

Freire (1970) states “freedom is not an ideal located outside of man; nor is it an idea which becomes myth. It is rather the indispensable condition for the quest for human completion” (p. 47). Greenleaf (Greenleaf et al., 1996) states, “responsibility is not seen as an act of conformity. Rather, it is the key to inner serenity… The potentially strong person acquires, early in the mature years, the feeling of total responsibility for the wider community of which he or she is a part” (p. 42). So, to be fully free is to be fully human, and to be strong a person needs responsibility toward a community. To be successful in a community, people need to both feel fully autonomous and fully part of something bigger than themselves. 

My work community is rooted in science and engineering. Of all the engineering departments, mine is the smallest in our business unit. However, we are responsible for driving change across the enterprise in the form of continuous improvement and bottom-line business impact. Although my department is composed of people who are labeled change agents, we cannot carry out our responsibility alone. Today’s engineering problems are sufficiently complex and our systems are so interconnected that a person cannot solve entire problems by themself. Not only are different minds required to solve today’s problems, but likely the team must be composed of people from cross-functional skill sets and departments. As the continuous improvement department leader, it can feel overwhelming to drive change across an entire enterprise with such a small team. We can’t win alone. So building a community that trusts each other, and feels empowered, supported and accountable is necessary for me to be successful driving enterprise value through improvement. Greenleaf (1977) states, “All that is needed to rebuild community as a viable life for large numbers of people is for enough servant-leaders to show the way, not by mass movements, but by each servant-leader demonstrating his or her own unlimited liability for a quite specific community related group” (p. 53). 

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (The New American Bible : Revised Edition, 1994, Proverbs 27:17). By gathering in a community unified by a common goal or values, individuals take on the responsibility of contributing to the community. “When citizens care for each other, they become accountable to each other. Care and accountability create a healthy community” (Block, 2009, p. 30). Expectations between individuals in the community drive individual improvement with regard to contribution and living into the common goal or values. Together, we will be better than we would be individually. 

There is a saying that if you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together. The notion of moving through life by ourselves can be appealing at times, but I think it is usually a mistake. Even monastic hermits must be galvanized by life in community before endeavoring to be alone in the desert. The Rule of Benedict states that hermits are monastics “who have come through the test of living in a monastery for a long time, and have passed beyond the first fervor of monastic life. Thanks to the help and guidance of many, they are now trained to fight against evil” (Chittister, pp. 32-33). 

Observations of the Abbey Experience

At St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, California, the Benedictine monks follow a life that is centered around the regular drumbeat of prayer and work.  

At the entrance of St. Andrew’s is a hand-painted sign that reads, “No Hunting, Except for Peace”. The land that the monastery is on is relatively isolated in terms of both geography as well as the information flow that bombards our senses in the center of modern towns and cities. Cell phone reception is spotty, and the competition for the most advanced piece of technology in the guest house is between the toilet and the light bulbs. All of this serves the purpose of removing the distractions that cause many people to skip from one task or thought to the next and to invoice visitors to sink into the depths of their true selves. “The core of our being is drawn like a stone to the quiet depths of each moment where God waits for us with eternal longing. But to those depths the false self will not let us travel. Like stones skipped across the surface of the water we are kept skimming along the peripheral, one-dimensional fringes of life” (Finley, 2003, p. 3).

The prayers of the Divine Office are held at the chapel throughout the day, starting at 6 AM with Vigils, Lauds is at 7:30 AM, Vespers is at 5:30 PM and Compline at 7:30 PM. Mass is also held daily at noon. A bell is rung in advance of Lauds, Mass, Vespers and Compline that echoes throughout the valley where St. Andrew’s is positioned. This serves as a reminder for the monks and any guests who wish to participate to stop whatever is occupying their mind in that moment and return to the chapel to pray. This structure requires discipline, and an atheist may view these calls to prayers as interruptions in one’s day. For the Benedictines, this structure is not a means to an end, but a way of enjoying their spiritual journey. “Discipline is not only for the correction of vice but also to ‘safeguard love’. The end is not simply the attainment of heaven, but the present experience of the heart enlarged with the inexpressible delight or sweetness of love, a taste of heaven on earth” (Foulcher, 2015, p. 110).

In addition to praying the Divine Office, attending daily mass and working, the monks spend time every day in Lectio Divina, which is structured reading that seeks to understand what has been read at a deeper level than first impressions may provide. The monks read scripture, ask themselves what it is saying to them specifically, consider how they should respond and ultimately rest in God’s presence. Lectio Divina is an intentional way of reading, praying and listening. “Truth requires listening in obedience to each other, responding to what we hear, acknowledging and recreating the bonds of the community of troth.” (Palmer, 1993, p. 67).

Hospitality is a foundational tenet of Benedictine life, and St. Andrew’s prides itself on welcoming guests and accommodating needs. Visitors of all faiths are invited to witness or participate in prayer services. Three square meals are served at regular times throughout the day. The dishes are presented in a family-style buffet and are wholesome, nutritious and satisfying. Silence is respected for breakfast, before the blessing of the meal at lunch and for the first half of dinner. At dinner, a book is read to the community as well as a brief biography of the next day’s saint or saints.

One may think that a person would choose to become a monk to remove themself from society, but in practice it is entirely the opposite. While it is true that the monastery has places labeled “Monastic Enclosures” where the public is not invited, they are few and the monks interact regularly with both visitors and the broader community. Visitors may come to the abbey for private, unstructured retreats where there is no agenda other than the rhythm of the Daily Office and meals. Other visitors can come for organized retreats that are led or supported by the monks. Some of the community interactions come in the form of supporting people in their final days at a hospice run by monks, saying Mass in the surrounding desert towns and Carmelite convent, and leading recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Cocaine Anonymous. These touch points serve as conduits extending from the monastic walls into the broader society surrounding Southern California and as an opportunity for the monks to continually grow and learn.

In fact, continuing education is expected as a member of the monastery. The form that education takes is decided by the Abbot, and is the result of discerning the talents of the brother, the needs of the monastic community and the needs of the surrounding area. Generally, men will first join the monastery, and then if they are called to priesthood will attend seminary. Most of the brothers are ordained priests, because there is a need for priests who can perform Roman Catholic Sacraments in the surrounding communities. Monks have also been called to service through teaching at seminary, attending graduate school, running the on-site ceramic workshop and store, and tending to the facilities and maintenance needs of the monastery grounds. One of the monks felt called to the priesthood, but his requests to attend seminary were initially declined because his talents were needed to attend to the day-to-day business and financial obligations of the monastery. The good of the community is placed above the desires of any individual monk. Although the Abbot has the responsibility of leading the monks, the expectation within the community is that each monk will take leadership roles in different capacities, whether it be leading people or being the primary person responsible for certain tasks, such as leading the chants during the Divine Office, saying Mass, or maintaining the vehicles and phone lines on site. For Abbot Damien, leading means enabling his brothers to both contribute to the greater good while also being leaders in their assignments and responsibilities. Everything that takes place within the monastery is ultimately for the good of the community, for instance, the Grand Silence.

“Silence is a cornerstone of Benedictine life and spiritual development, but the goal of monastic silence, and monastic speech, is respect for others, a sense of place, a spirit of peace. The rule does not call for absolute silence; it calls for thoughtful talk” (Chittister, 1992, p. 60). At St. Andrew’s Abbey, the Grand Silence starts immediately after Compline and continues until after breakfast the following day. Silence brings the monks closer to God, allowing them to listen to the Holy Spirit, to be reflective and to be intentional with their thoughts. Palmer (1993) writes, “in most places where people meet, silence is a threatening experience…once we learn that we make progress in being quiet (and if we fall back, it is only because our previous progress was illusory), then silence becomes a potent space for learning” (p. 81). Additionally, silence is a way of maintaining harmony in the community. During an interview, Father Carlos said that the purpose for the silence is both spiritual and practical. For Benedictine monks who have taken the Solemn Vow, they have committed their life to the monastic community and the Chapter (Stages of Formation, n.d.). This means that the monk will be spending every day with his community of brothers, who are also human with their own nuances, foibles, limited stories and expressions.

Humility is central to the Benedictine way of life. From smaller acts, like letting guests eat first, to larger acts like devoting their entire earthly life to God and in service of the greater good, the monks seek to embody humility. Although the laity’s perception of a monk may be one of a holy person that errs less than someone who participates in general society, the monks are surprisingly quick to offer up their shortcomings and the ways that they offend God. The Rule of Benedict removed any of the passages from the Rule of the Master (tk citation) that concerned competitiveness, and an entire chapter of the Rule of Benedict is dedicated to humility. During a mealtime reading about the next day’s saint, the monks were reminded of a quote from Saint Vincent de Paul: “The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.”

The Abbot is the elected leader of the monks, serving in 8 year terms. The Abbot surrounds himself with a senior council consisting of 4 monks – 2 elected by the brothers and 2 appointed by the Abbot. Regarding the qualities of an abbot and their power in a monastery, Chittister (1992) says, “Becoming what the abbess or prioress thinks you should be is not the goal of monasticism. Following the leader is not the end for which we’re made; finding God is” (p. 37). 

Saint Benedict was intentional about creating both a rhythm and a space where monks could be alone with God and to work through the 12 steps of humility. Chittister (1992) points out “the goals and values of the spiritual life, in other words, are just plain different from the goals and values we’ve been taught by the world around us. Winning, owning, having, consuming, and controlling are not the high posts of the spiritual life” (p. 63). There is much time every day for one to be introspective. The monks said in their interviews that this is time for them to be alone with God and to listen for the Holy Spirit. Abbot Damien said that for most people who are considering joining the monastery, the time alone with their thoughts and away from the goals of the world around the monastery becomes too much and they ultimately depart the abbey. Abbot Damien said about prospective new members, “they come and they go, but mostly they go”.

Sarabaites are “the most detestable kind of monastics…Their law is what they like to do, whatever strikes their fancy. Anything they believe in and choose, they call holy; anything they dislike, they consider forbidden” (Chittister, O.S.B., 1992,, p. 33). The practice of self-denial in Saint Benedict’s ladder of humility is obvious at the surface level when observing the monks. However, what was striking to me as I got to know the monks through interviews and interactions was that they all exhibited patience in abundance. Rather than working to fulfill their own will and desires, they were comfortable with not only denying their desires, but also comfortable with not having an immediate answer. In his closing remarks to the class, Father Isaac Kalina advised the class to “gently wait for the whole meaning of it all”.

Father Francis Benedict, a former Abbot of the monastery, said that his goal for the monastery was that people leave St. Andrew’s with a “love of God, love of self, and love of others”. He referred to St. Andrew’s as “a place of encounter” – a place where one can encounter God, encounter themselves and encounter others. Through their hospitality, humility in action, the peaceful setting and the rhythm provided by the Divine Office and the toll of the bell, the monks have made Father Francis’ vision a reality for monks and visitors alike.

Proposal to Enhance Community

My work community is based in science and technology, and although I live in Utah, the job is still secular. The experience of being a participant observer at St. Andrew’s has provided me with a wellspring of ideas for creating and transforming community in my work. 

Leading means enabling. Just like how there are too many tasks for one monk to attend to at the abbey, in my organization there are too many problems to solve for one engineer. Abbot Damien seems to do an admirable job of not micromanaging his brothers. Rather, he has taken the time to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and has assigned matching responsibilities. I have witnessed leaders at my organization be unable to trust their team members to execute, and I have also witnessed leaders that take a laissez-faire approach to leadership. Both leadership styles ultimately lead to frustration by the team members. To be the best leader, I must enable my team members by matching the task required to the talent available, removing obstacles, and holding people accountable. In order to wholly enable, I must also put aside my personal  preference for how a job might get done, and instead remain focused on, as a team, fulfilling the vision I set forth. 

Every night at Compline, the monks reflect on the day, examine their conscience, and ask God for forgiveness. This takes place only hours after praying the Confiteor during daily Mass, wherein again the penitent asks for forgiveness from the congregation and from God. This acute recognition of one’s own fallibility serves as a reminder to remain humble in our human imperfection. In our interview, Father Isaac Kalina said, “the thing we do perfectly is disappoint one another”. For my team to realize its fullest potential, I as a leader must create an environment where people are willing to grant and receive forgiveness. Block (2009) writes, “The shift in conversation is from one of problems, fear, and retribution to one of possibility, generosity, and restoration” (p. 31). Working as a problem-solving engineer and a change agent, shifting the conversation, accepting that people will fail at times and catalyzing the healing process through granting forgiveness will enable my team to have the psychological safety to imagine, to try, to fail, and to try again. To not ask for or grant forgiveness would be to undermine the humanity of my team members.

In our interview, Father Carlos spoke of his struggles as a philosopher and theologian trying to operate the ceramics business in support of the monastery. When he felt overwhelmed, he was advised to re-focus his attention to God and to persist. Although he initially struggled in his stretch assignment, he became a better brother through his contributions to the monastery and he became more mature through learning not to react to every crisis. Father Carlos’ story highlights the power of using stretch assignments to develop individuals, and the importance of a leader supporting rather than sympathizing. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1997) states that to love is “to will the good of the other”. Father Carlos’ abbot knew that the stretch assignment was a way to help Carlos’ development and contribution, and that to encounter love does not mean to encounter sympathy. At the retreat, Dr. Carey stated, “challenge without support is oppressive, and support without challenge is codependency”. By assigning my team members challenging problems and helping them stay centered on what’s important, I can help them develop into better, more capable versions of themselves.

Although invoking the Grand Silence would be nice on certain days or with certain people at work, removing speaking as a form of communication would stand in the way of progress. Moments of silence, however, can still be useful as a means of maintaining harmony. One of the Vigil readings while I was visiting the Abbey was Proverbs 26: 17-28 (The New American Bible : Revised Edition, 1994):

Whoever meddles in the quarrel of another is one who grabs a passing dog by the ears. Like a crazed archer scattering firebrands and deadly arrows, such are those who deceive their neighbor, and then say, ‘I was only joking.’ Without wood the fire dies out; without a talebearer strife subsides. Charcoal for coals, wood for fire— such are the quarrelsome, enkindling strife. The words of a talebearer are like dainty morsels: they sink into one’s inmost being. Like a glazed finish on earthenware are smooth lips and a wicked heart. With their lips enemies pretend, but inwardly they maintain deceit; when they speak graciously, do not trust them, for seven abominations are in their hearts. Hatred can be concealed by pretense, but malice will be revealed in the assembly. Whoever digs a pit falls into it; and a stone comes back upon the one who rolls it. The lying tongue is its owner’s enemy, and the flattering mouth works ruin.

Choosing when I speak, when I respond, or when I contribute to a conversation is a powerful act of prudence and a way to meter the way that I as a leader choose to involve myself. By being deliberate and purposeful with my words, they will carry more weight. St. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:15, “Living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ”(The New American Bible : Revised Edition, 1994).

The rhythm of life at the abbey provides a predictability and a structure that enables monks and guests to focus on their intent of being at the monastery, rather than concerning themselves with scheduling details like when to eat, when to pray, when to work or when to sleep. Currently at my work, details like what location I will be working at, what time I will start and end my workday, and if I will have time for lunch are not predictable. The lack of a rhythm causes confusion for me, for my team and even for my family. At the monastery, starting the day with a focus on God and Lectio Divina centered my head on what I wanted to get out of each day. In my work life, starting each day by focusing on the big picture will help me be intentional in my tasks at work and ensure that I am focusing my efforts on the right things, rather than floating from one task to the next as dictated by my Outlook calendar.

I intend to expect greatness from my team members, because they are all capable of delivering greatness in their own right. My goal is for them to pass Greanleaf’s (1977) test, by becoming “healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves” (p. 27) to become servant-leaders. However, freedom does not mean lacking discipline. “Today we conceive of freedom and obedience as contradictory states. We regard freedom as the autonomy of the self-seeking self, the self cut loose from traditional and communal bonds, and we think of obedience as the act of slave, not free persons. (Palmer, 1993, p. 65)

 “Engagement is the means through which there can be a shift in caring for the well-being of the whole, and the task of leader as convener is to produce that engagement” (Block, 2009, p. 87). In the Bible, 1 John 4: 8 states, “Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love” (The New American Bible : Revised Edition, 1994). In my secular place of work, although I cannot speak of God, I can engage my community like an outside force engages a ball at rest on a ramp to help it realize its potential. Through engagement, I can make a place of community – a place where people can encounter love by encountering themselves, by encountering others, and thereby become better, freer versions of themselves.

References

Block, P. (2009). Community: The structure of belonging. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Chittister, O.S.B., J. (1992). The rule of Benedict: Insights for the ages. The Crossroads Publishing Company.

Doubleday. (1997). Catechism of the Catholic Church: with modifications from the editio typica.

Finley, J. (2003). Merton’s palace of nowhere. Ave Maria Press.

Foulcher, J. (2015). Reclaiming humility: Four studies in the monastic tradition. Cistercian Publications.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Bloomsbury Academic.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. Paulist Press.

Greenleaf, R. K., Frick, D. M., & Spears, L. C. (1996). On becoming a servant-leader. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Palmer, P. J. (1993). To know as we are known: Education as a spiritual journey. HarperOne.

Stages of Formation. (n.d.). Saint Andrew’s Abbey. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://saintandrewsabbey.com/stages-of-formation/

The new American Bible : Revised edition. (1994). Catholic Bible Publishers.