Alliance for Catholic Education
What is it to lead with zeal? When I think of zeal, I think of ardor and intense passion. Originally, however, it meant emulation. And as I have sat with that, it resonates. To lead with zeal is to make our Catholic schools communities worth emulating. To lead with zeal is to make our Catholic schools irresistible.
While I didn’t have this phrase at the time, I learned what it means to lead with zeal from Sister Eugenie with whom I served as part of the founding team at Gonzaga Primary School in Tanzania. I was an early-service teacher and new to Catholic education; Sister Eugenie was our assistant principal. The work was demanding and felt wearisome in those early days, yet I never encountered Sister Eugenie without a smile. She began every interaction with our students the same way, whether leading morning gathering, walking into a classroom, or serving in the lunchroom: “Education for Love and Service.”
That school motto was an irresistible reminder of why our work mattered. It lifted in our students a sense of purpose as they studied in pursuit of new opportunities for themselves and their families. In every interaction I witnessed, her zeal created space to advocate for our students and to evangelize for the school. She was irresistible, and she drew us each deeper into the work. Her leadership was audacious – boldly and joyfully anchoring the school community in the profound hope of the Gospel.
Whatever role we play in our schools, we have the opportunity to lead with zeal, to share the joy of the Gospel, and in so doing, make our schools irresistibly Catholic.
Nicholas Ford
Superintendent, Archdiocese of Seattle
Executive Coach, Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program