This was a reflection shared at the All Saints Mass on November 1, 2024.
November 1, 2024
In September of 2019, when I was about 10 weeks into being president of Saint Peter’s Prep, a good friend gave me a book that she thought would be appropriate as I was beginning this new leadership journey. She didn’t say it, but I knew she thought the book would be a source of inspiration and wisdom. It wasn’t one of the “classic” leadership books like Heifetz and Lynskey’s Leadership on the Line, Jim Collins’ Good to Great or Robert Greenleaf’s Servant Leadership, or even The Art of War by Sun Tzu—but you should think about reading all of those!
It was actually a book called The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse, and you should definitely read this one. It’s a book you can read in one sitting. The words are lyric and the pages are picturesque. It’s about a young boy wandering through the woods meeting some new friends…I’ll leave it at that. The dialogue between the friends carries the narrative, and distills the complexity of our humanity into their seemingly simplistic conversation.
If I were back teaching English at Saint Peter’s Prep in E304, 25 years ago, I would share some quotes from the book with you. And I would tell you “to dive into it,” “rip it apart,” “make it your own,” and discover its deeper meaning…Maybe even find enlightenment in E304.
But in the interest of time as we go through a few quotes, I’m going to tell you what I think. But I hope you think along with me. These are quotes from a discussion among four friends, but to me they are quotes about leadership. This is what leadership is all about, but maybe a different way of thinking it.
The mole asks the boy: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “Kind,” says the boy.
From a young age we are taught to be kind, but maybe what we’re not always taught is that it isn’t always easy. Being generous, considerate, compassionate…is not always easy. It requires self-control and discipline…As a leader, I can’t take my bad day out on you. I have to find a way to be kind. And I can’t let your disagreement, or your pushback at a meeting, or even your disrespect get under my skin…Then I am not leading; I am following. Again, self-control. Discipline.
“What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever said?” asked the boy. “Help,” said the horse.
You know this: asking for help is a sign of humility. But let’s be clear. It takes a lot of humility to desire continuous improvement. It takes a lot of humility to work on it. Continuous improvement. And to admit that you want continuous improvement and sometimes you need some advice, some guidance, some help…that’s pretty brave. But my brothers, that’s what makes you magnificent.
“Sometimes I think you believe in me more than I do,” said the boy. “You’ll catch up,” said the horse.
Leadership is not about you. It takes a visionary leader to see the potential in someone else—to see past their “now” and truly see their “not yet.” It takes an even more visionary leader to inspire you to step into the unseen…convince you that it’s worth it…that your incredible potential is worth fighting for. On the other hand gentlemen, sometimes you might feel like the boy in that exchange, knowing there is someone who believes in you more than you do…but I promise you will catch up.
Be kind. Ask for help. See not just the goodness but the greatness in someone. Be thankful that someone else sees the greatness in you. I framed these qualities as leadership qualities. They are. On All Saints’ Day, we can also easily connect them to saint-like qualities. They are so simple. Too simple? I don’t think so.
Fr. Tony Azzarto, a legendary Prep Jesuit, who I am 100% sure baptized some of you, married some of your parents, and maybe buried some of your relatives…Fr. Tony said his last all school mass ever at Prep when we dedicated the statue of Saint Peter. In his homily that day he talked about a Saint being a genuine human being, someone who is humble, compassionate, helpful…he described someone not rigid, not afraid of change; someone who can take a risk; someone not afraid to grow. He reminded us that this is not easy, but we are called to be that genuine human being, called to be saints.
My Prep brothers and sisters, maybe that’s part of our Greater Perhaps. Maybe we are called to be Saints, and let other people laugh at us when they hear us scream it from the rooftops of the universe…Let’s give it a shot!
Sub Umbra Petri,
Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91
President
