My supervisor at Misericordia, Andrew, is a leader for our community.

However, he does

not see himself as a leader, but rather as a guide. He likes this about his job because he does not

have to tell people what to do, but instead he coordinates and facilitates things. I find it very

admirable that he is a humble leader. He quietly guides people without being bossy, so his

leadership is subtle but impactful.

As the ministry supervisor, he leads people by encouraging them to use their gifts. He

says that his goal is to make sure the residents needs are met, and he encourages his interns to

use their personal gifts to meet those needs. Everyone has a specialty to offer to others and

Andrew recognizes this. Andrew cites the Monastic tradition, where a leader is elected by his

peers and has their best interest at heart. He points out that the leader leads in a way to get all of

his community members to grow, to become aware of strengths and weaknesses so that they can

better know themselves and know what they have to offer others they serve. Andrew imitates

this in his life and his leadership style. I really admire that he keeps those that he is leading in

mind. I am very lucky to have a supervisor who wants me to succeed because many people have

supervisors who only want themselves to succeed.

In addition to Monastic monks, Andrew looks up to his college professors and other

leaders to guide him. The professors in mind demand honest effort and accountability and they

pushed him past his comfort zone. He also looks up to leaders who work alongside others,

including Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and his namesake St. Andrew. St. Andrew was not

chosen to be the leader of the Church as his brother Peter was, but he was a quiet leader who

served others. In the story of the loaves and fishes St. Andrew was the one who discovered the

boy, not the one who provided him with food. Andrew describes his saint, He wasnt the star but

he did a good job of getting others to contribute. This shows Andrews humility because he

looks up to a leader who does not get all the glory.

 Andrew identifies some moments in his life where he felt disturbed by others leadership,

so he uses this discomfort to guide him. He remembers feeling aggravated by small instances

where peoples ideas were rejected. Now, when he feels that someone has a really good idea, he

does what he can to facilitate their success. He says, I dont like seeing people being shut down

by their superiors when I feel they have valid opinions. When he sees an injustice he is not able

to sit idly by, even though he feels he is otherwise a passive and easygoing person. This quality is

very admirable in a leader because he is passionate about making things right.

For Andrew, certain qualities are important for a leader to possess. These include a

discerning spirit, patience, decisiveness, good listening, and consistency. It is important for a

leader to set rules and follow through with them, especially showing mercy after a mistake. The

rules and expectations, if they are enforced, create an accountable environment, but mercy is

important because problems will ultimately occur and people should be given a second chance.

This helps people want to do their best because You never want to disappoint a boss that you

really look up to. He leads out of love rather than instilling fear.
As for advice for emerging leaders, Andrew says one must be humble enough to follow

[their] own advice. A leader is always learning just like the student, and the student or intern can

teach many lessons. He also says that listening is often underestimated. Listening can help

people gain perspective and see where the speaker is coming from. In a case where someone

makes a mistake, the leader can better understand why it happened, rather than simply what

happened, if they listen carefully.

Andrew exhibits many of the principles of leadership. Specifically, he Models the Way

for those he leads. Kouzes and Posner write that a leader must talk about their values (Kouzes

and Posner 15). As the ministry supervisor, Andrew talks about his values everyday. It is his job

to be open about his beliefs with residents and coworkers. His actions show he is committed to

his job and beliefs when he does not speak about them. Andrew is committed to his residents and
making sure their needs are met. We share a guitar for prayer, so if he has it off campus, he will

bring it back for me to use even on his day off. This shows that he is responsible because he

wants to make sure I am able to adequately help the residents as well.

Andrew also challenges the process by always seeking ways to improve and implement

new ideas. The best way to come up with new ideas is from listening to others (Kouzes and

Posner 17). Andrew is a great listener and he values listening to others, as stated above. He

identifies listening as an essential quality of a good leader, especially so you can understand

others perspectives.
Perhaps Andrews strongest leadership quality is that he enables others to act. A good

leader makes people feel strong, capable, and committed (Kouzes and Posner 18). Andrew

expresses his strong feelings towards allowing others to grow and implement their own ideas.

Whenever I have an idea, he is careful to support me and make sure I can be challenged. He

makes sure that everyone knows they have the capacity to be a leader.
Andrew is an amazing leader because of his humility. He does not take his position for

granted and he is always available to help the residents, coworkers, and me as his intern. He is a

great listener and he remembers that he is not all-knowing, but he is always learning too. Andrew

recognizes that leadership is a relationship (Kouzes and Posner 20). While he is the supervisor,

he feels he is more of a guide than a leader. He works alongside people and leads by example,

committing to his values and encouraging others to grow in leadership as well.