Modesty in Leadership 299than accomplishing something alone. A gentle leader expresses outgoing
concern for the lasting good of the others. It is one who cares about the
welfare of others, and especially the vulnerable in the society. “He
treads lightly, listens carefully, looks tenderly, and touches with rever-
ence, and knows that true growth requires nurture, and not force.”^230 A
gentle and modest leader cares about the lasting good of all, and works
to see that achievement is had collectively. Care means being with, cry-
ing out with, suffering with and feeling with those who are in the great-
est need.
24.4 Discipline and Modesty in Leadership
Leaders who embrace modesty and humility are also very disciplined
when it comes to finding time for meditation, prayer and reflections
from which they draw inner strength, courage and fortitude
Without such a disciplined life style a leader could be easily burnt
out. And here lies the great challenge for future leadership in modesty.
The demands of today’s fast moving life leaves people with little pre-
cious time to find solitude; that aloneness which is the other side of hu-
man beings’ uniqueness. The challenge leaders face in their quest for
time with self is how to avoid aloneness from becoming loneliness, and
allow it to lead one into solitude. Loneliness is painful but solitude is
peaceful. Loneliness makes one to cling to others in desperation, while
solitude allows one to respect others in their uniqueness and create
community which is the fountain of strength for the leader.
Solitude is like the garden for the heart of a leader who embraces
modesty and seeks to deepen it even further. For the leader’s aloneness
to bear fruit in the midst of the contemporary social contexts that create
restless bodies and anxious minds, a physical space into which to retreat
is essential. Such disciplined life is good for the spirit and soul of a lead-
230
Nouwen, 1997