Book 160: Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-year-old Company that Changed the World by Chris Lowney

My bachelor's degree was in organizational leadership. By the time I was done earning the degree, I had little interest in reading yet another book on the topic. But I was intrigued when I saw this book pop up in my recommended reading list. The first thought I had was, "There's a company that's 450 years old?"

The Jesuits are a Catholic sect that began in Spain more than 400 years ago. Jesuit priests were known for their academic pursuits, goodwill, and evangelism efforts. They established thousands of schools around the world to educate and mentor future leaders of the Jesuit sect.

Chris Lowney, the author of Heroic Leadership, did a ton of research to bring this story together and tell the Jesuits' story from their foundations to present day practices. The book was long, and in places it was a bit dry, but the author was consistent - his style is very matter-of-fact and to the point. And I was sort of jealous - the Jesuits seem like the kind of people I'd like to be around. Too bad it's an all-male sect.

The book focused on the development of leaders within the Jesuit sect and the administrative functions of the organization. I didn't know that the Jesuits have divided up the world into "provinces" which allow them to manage their functions with a consistency that has spanned the ages. All I kept thinking while I was reading this is that the Jesuits were way ahead of their time, and that I didn't expect to find these lessons within a book on Catholicism. It was sort of surprising.

I'd definitely recommend this book.