What makes someone a great leader?
Ask Dr. Alex Havard and you’ll get a somewhat surprising answer. The Paris-born founder of the Virtuous Leadership Institute says great leaders demonstrate humility, which leads to their bringing out greatness in others.
Havard is a graduate of one of France’s leading law schools and worked as a lawyer in Europe before discovering his mission: igniting hearts for greatness and teaching the classic virtues as the basis of true and effective leadership through his Virtuous Leadership System.
Virtue is an old word. We don’t hear much about it anymore. In fact, we hear more about values than virtues. But this seemingly ancient word still has important meaning and relevance today, especially when it comes to greatness and leadership.
I first met Havard about eight years ago in Ottawa at an event on Parliament Hill, where we were introduced by a mutual friend. We quickly discovered we shared a common perspective – that the foundation of leadership is character and that our world is in great need of virtuous leaders.
I was with Catholic Christian Outreach, a movement dedicated to evangelization and leadership development. CCO believes in making investments in the faith and character of our young people and our community, and so the work done by Havard and his Virtuous Leadership Institute resonated. We began using the institute’s ideas and principles in the formation of our staff and student leaders.
Havard says he was inspired by the greatness he saw in his parents, grandparents, ancestors, and mentors. “But at the same time, I saw waves of small-heartedness breaking over the world.”
He saw a need “to recover a virtuous approach to leadership, a vision to achieve greatness by bringing out the greatness in others.”
It’s an uncommon message in today’s world, where we usually think what a person’s greatness is based on what they’ve done or what they’ve achieved. In fact, it something more. Greatness is a reflection of who a person is. In short, what we see in truly great people is the best of what it means to be human. We see excellence of character. We see their virtue.
Havard, who lives in Moscow, speaks around the world to audiences of business and education professionals, university students and faculty members, military and government leaders, as well as families and young people. He comes to North America only once or twice a year, so to have him in Vancouver for two events this week is a rare and special occasion.
On Friday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. at the Fairmont Waterfront, Havard will present “The Business Case for Character,” discussing how for organizations to have a truly significant and lasting impact they need to have great leaders. He will share inspirational and practical insights on how developing the character of leaders pays dividends for organizational success and enables people to find deeper meaning, purpose and passion for their lives. For more information and to register for this event, visit www.vlvancouver.com.
On Saturday, Jan. 25, at 9:15 a.m. at the John Paul II Pastoral Centre, Havard will present “Bringing Out Greatness in Others,” discussing how everyone has the potential to be a great leader by seeking to bring out the best in those around them. He’ll present insightful and practical wisdom on the specific virtues related to leadership and how we can cultivate them in ourselves and in the lives of others: our families, communities, churches, and workplaces. For more information and to register, visit www.virtuousleaders.ca.
Former Governor General Georges Vanier (a faithful Catholic) once said, “Tell me the character of a nation’s young people, and I will tell you the future of the nation.”
By instilling virtue in our society, the future of Canada becomes that much brighter.
