Mentor Workshop: Leaders as Leaven – India

The mentors of the program ‘Leaders as Leaven – India’ from the three congregations of St. Joseph: Chambéry, Annecy and Lyons, gathered in Bangalore, Vizagapatam and Bhopal for a two-day workshop organised and conducted by S. Barbara Bozak, CSJ, from the United States. She is the director of the leadership training program. Eight mentors from Chambery and Lyons gathered at the provincial house of the Lyon sisters in Bangalore on 17 and 18 May, 2018.Thirteen from Annecy and Chambéry were in Vizaghapatnem, on 24 and 25 May and eighteen, from Chambéry and Lyon gathered in Bhopal (Tanmaya) on 4 and 5 June.
A welcome prayer was conducted by a member of the program planning committee. In the first session ‘Leadership through the lens of Scripture,’ Barbara focussed on the servant leadership style of Jesus and that oftwo women from the Old Testament namely Abigail and the Hebrew midwives in Exodus: Shiprah and Puah, which highlighted the leadership of these women in ordinary life situations. The video on servant leadership gave the participants a broad understanding of leadership as seen today by big companies. The second session considered ‘Leadership as seen in Gandhi and the Spirituality of Medaille.’
On the second day Barbara explained to the group The Leadership Circle Profile and what is expected of the mentors for the leadership training program in India. Mentors were given time to reflect and share about their creative and reactive tendencies with the help of the videos and the input.
At the end of the two dayworkshop the groups were able to have a clearer understanding of the type of leadership program Leaders asLleaven is, and what is expected of the mentors in this context.

Navya Neelam
Pachmarhi Province