Legatus seeks to promote 'ethical leadership'

The Phoenix chapter of Legatus, a national organization begun in 1987 by Tom Monaghan, founder and former owner of Domino’s Pizza and the Detroit Tigers, invited Fr. Robert Spitzer to address local business leaders March 5.

Fr. Spitzer, president of Gonzaga University, is a well-known author and speaker who has trained more than 50,000 leaders around the world. His presentations focus on ethics and the development of leadership.

Fr. Spitzer’s message to local business leaders who gathered to hear him speak at the early morning breakfast was that difficult times offer a unique opportunity.

“Never waste a perfectly good recession,” he told the 300-plus listeners at Mount Claret Retreat Center. He gave a bit of a history lesson to illustrate his point.

He noted that in spite of the fact that the Nazis were pelting England with bombs in World War II, their leader was able to inspire courage.

“Churchill was just so articulate and he was able to bring out something in the human spirit that was worthy of pursuit,” Fr. Spitzer said.

“That’s our opportunity for leaders during troubled times,” he added.

Leadership during the Great Depression was able to bring out “incredible acts of generosity and the cardinal virtues, a deeper sense of courage, and self-discipline to pursue the greater goals,” Fr. Spitzer said.

Key to Fr. Spitzer’s approach is his description of the various levels of leadership. He developed his theory of leadership by studying the writings of more than 100 anthropologists, philosophers and psychologists.

Fr. Spitzer said that the main problem with many in leadership positions today is that they are stuck in what he calls ‘dominant Level 2 behavior,’ which he said is characterized by fear and arrogance.

To move beyond the desire for more power, fame and control, leaders have to begin to see something —and Someone — greater than themselves.

Those who reach Level 3, he said, want to make their organization, family, society and world better off for their having lived.

In his ethical leadership training exercises, Fr. Spitzer has participants write what he calls a “Level 3 manifesto” which they read and meditate on every day for seven weeks. Essentially, students write down how they will make their community and world better off. They end the two-page paper by stating, “For this I came.”

Fr. Spitzer’s presentation was sponsored by the Phoenix chapter of Legatus, which meets monthly for Mass and formation. The event was designed to introduce the community to the work that Legatus does.

John Fees, a member of the group, said that the purpose of Legatus is to “come together and hear a great speaker, have Mass, and once a month renew our spirits.”

For more information, contact Susan Ramirez at (602) 954-9300.

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