Thank you to Vernice Solimar from JFK University, California.
In July of this year, 2014, Vernice Solimar, professor, dean and chair of a department in JFK university, California, gave a two week training in Leadership for Transformation, to the staff of St. Francis Family Helper Programme, the staff of Uganda Martyrs University, Nyamitanga campus and a number of other attendees.
Without exception the participants were very enthusiastic about the training and were all grateful to Vernice for travelling this long way to so generously share some of her deep insights and to support us as we transition into a new phase of development. If we were to ask each participant to share some key learnings from the training, possibly each one would pick something unique and different. Thus what I write is what I specifically took away with me. The call to be a leader in today’s world is offered to all of us who care about others. What is the key of good leadership? I left believing that if I became a better listener, really able to see the other, feel the other, listen to the other, connect with the other then this is already being a leader.
Vernice talked about four profiles out of which we act from moment to moment, from day to day throughout our lives—the professional profile, the cultural/social profile, which is so laden with everything that we think and how we act as Irish, or Ugandan or American or whatever culture we come from. The personality profile out of which our hurting self often protrudes in a most unseemly and embarrassing manner is difficult to change unless we cultvate and resource from the Wisdom profile which I equate with the Christ consciousness, the Godman of Sufism, the spirit within, the Centre of our being. If we were to act, think and be our Wisdom being then we would certainly suffer much less and we would probably feel a lot more at peace with ourselves. My Wisdom tells me to be more honest in my communication, to be more committed to peace and non-violence.
The photograph above is one of Vernice in the centre, with Felicity, research psychologist from Ireland, working at St. Francis until December, on one side and Father Carmelo ofm, provincial of the Franciscans living in Nairobi, at the other side. The group photograph is of Vernice with most of the participants. Some were missing that day, or were taking photographs!.