He led the world’s largest organization with humility and a willingness to engage with different groups and hear different viewpoints.
Fill in the gaps in the article below with the words in bold:
lose touch enduring reach out firm unprecedented undo
shut (oneself) off passed away stance falling apart rebuked
Pope Francis 1. ………… this morning (21st April) in Rome at 7:35, marking the end of a papacy that influenced far more than just the Catholic Church. In his 12 years as pope, he led with a style that offers 2. ………….. leadership lessons for anyone in a position of authority, especially in business. (…)
Lead from among, not above.
(…) When Francis was elected, he was asked to step up on a short pedestal to greet the thousands who had gathered in St. Peter’s Square. He refused, saying, “I like it down here.” He refused to put himself above anyone. And that was within minutes of his election. He also asked the people gathered to say a prayer for him—also 3. ………….. —in essence saying he “would need all the help he can get.”
The Pope knew what all business leaders should know—they need the people. Be it from employees or clients, if you separate yourself, you’ll rapidly 4. ………. with the people you want to lead.
Listen to diverse voices.
Pope Francis was himself something of an anomaly in the papacy. He was the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas. (…) Coming from the outside may have influenced his desire to listen to others. (…) “He has taken a unique 5. ………. in the rejection of norms, and he reaches out to everybody, not only Catholics.”
If you 6. ……….. and listen only to people who already agree with you, life is easy—you always have a cheering section. But (…) listening to people who differ from you is what a true leader does. (…)
Listen to those around you—even if you may disagree with them. While Pope Francis publicly 7. ………… the Trump administration, he also met with Vice President JD Vance yesterday. If you 8. ………. yourself …….. from those who disagree, you won’t have the opportunity to learn.
Hold the line when necessary.
While Pope Francis was far more “liberal” than his predecessor, he wasn’t afraid to draw the line when necessary. (…) You can agree or disagree with the Pope, but that’s irrelevant. He listened to outside voices but held 9. ……. to what he thought was best. Sometimes, as a leader, you have to make hard choices—sometimes unpopular ones. (…)
Think long-term.
Pope Francis was 76 years old when he became the pope. He could have focused on the short-term things he knew he would be here for. But he also considered long-term issues, such as the environment, (…). Businesses that focus on the next quarter’s results and don’t plan for the long-term often end up 10. ……….. when the unexpected happens. Preparing for the time long after you’ve retired or moved on sets your business up for long-term success.
Own your mistakes openly.
The Catholic Church may believe in papal Infallibility, but it certainly doesn’t believe people in the church are free of error. In October 2024, Pope Francis held a prayer service asking for “forgiveness for the failings of the Catholic Church, including treatment by clergy of women and survivors of sexual abuse.”
While this doesn’t 11. ………… the sins of the past, acknowledging mistakes (and, in this case, atrocities) is a step toward moving forward.
If you make a mistake—if your organization makes a mistake—acknowledge it. Apologize for it. Don’t try to hide it. It makes things worse. (…)
In order to read the whole article/check your answers, go to: https://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/here-are-5-things-every-leader-can-learn-from-pope-francis
Key: 1. passed away; 2. enduring; 3. unprecedented;4. lose touch; 5. stance; 6. reach out; 7. rebuked; 8. shut (yourself) off; 9. firm; 10. falling apart; 1. undo
Glossary
- fidelity – honest or lasting support, or loyalty
- capricious – governed or characterized by caprice; impulsive, unpredictable
- infallibility – the quality of being absolutely trustworthy
- atrocity – a shockingly bad or atrocious (=horrible) act, or situation
Practice makes perfect
Watch the first 2 minutes (0:00-1:52) of the video and fill in the gaps in the excerpt below:
For almost two millennia, the Pope has been a figure of 1. ……. spiritual authority for Catholics around the world. But in the late 14th century, Catholics found themselves with not one, not two, but three Popes. Where did this plethora of Popes come from? And who, among them, was the 2. ……….. article? The origins of this papal 3. …………… began in 1296, when France’s King Philip IV decided to raise taxes on the Church.
Given the 4. ………..’s political power, this offended Pope Boniface VIII, leading him to write the Unum Sanctum, a radical decree asserting the Pope’s total supremacy over 5. ……….. rulers. But King Philip 6. …………. back. He declared Boniface a heretic and tried to have him arrested in a violent raid.
Boniface survived the 7. ……….. but died soon after. And following a short-lived 8. ……….., Pope Clement V was elected in 1305. A French diplomat seeking peace in the war between England and his homeland, Clement wanted to stay close to the conflict and escape the demands of Rome.
So in 1309, he moved the 9. ………. of the papacy to Avignon, a city close to France but owned by a vassal of the Church. The papacy remained here for the terms of seven Popes until the 10. …………. Pope finally returned to Italy in 1376. But just several months after his arrival, he suddenly died. (…)
Key: 1. supreme; 2. genuine; 3. predicament; 4. clergy; 5. earthly; 6. struck; 7. assault; 8. successor; 9. seat; 10. reigning
Match synonyms:
1. to reach out
2. stance
3. rapidly
4. enduring
5. to rebuke
6. irrelevant
7. firm
8. to undo
a) to reverse
b) attitude
c) beside the point
d) strong
e) to connect; to contact
f) to reprimand
g) speedily
h) lasting; timeless
Key: 1e); 2b); 3g); 4h); 5f); 6c); 7d); 8a)
Watch and revise!
5 Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis
https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/5KQeRwEnoQYABcE
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