Pope Francis is an extraordinary learner, listener, and self-doubter.
That’s is how columnist David Brooks ends his description of the charismatic and unusually popular pope in his New York Times editorial from September 22, 2015, “Pope Francis, Prince of the Personal.”
His editorial seeks to clarify why Pope Francis is creating such a positive stir throughout the world. Brooks says:
Only by being immersed in the specificity of that person and that mysterious soul can you strike the right balance between rigor and compassion. Only by being intimate and loving can you match the authority that comes from church teaching with the democratic wisdom that bubbles from each individual’s common sense.
What an incredible model for leadership—building and nurturing relationships through learning, listening, and humility. I am inspired by a world leader who models knowing people in such an unassuming, openhanded way. His manner of focusing on relationships transforms me by simply watching him.