Leadership from and for Religious Organizations

The Universidad Pontificia Comillas organised a round table discussion on leadership in religious organisations with the participation of José María Guibert, Rector of the University of Deusto, and Morten Huse, Professor Emeritus at the Norwegian Business School. Paloma Bilbao, Vice-Rector for Academic Strategy, Innovation and Internationalisation, was the presenter and moderator of the discussion, which was attended by the Rector of the university, Fr. Enrique Sanz, SJ.

During her introduction, Paloma Bilbao reminded those in attendance that present were two exceptional speakers with a proven track record in and knowledge and experience of leadership. The Vice-Rector kicked off the debate by offering a quote from the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD), stating that over 80% of the world’s population identifies with some religion. “Religious values and beliefs influence the thoughts and actions of billions of people around the world, contributing significantly every day to sustainable development,” she said.

Professor Huse began by discussing the role of religious leaders in secular organisations and the role of secular leaders in religious organisations.

José María Guibert offered an overview of some of the qualities a leader should have from a Jesuit perspective: “First of all, you have to think about people and create humanising organisations. Without people, complex tasks cannot be completed.”

The work of Professor Huse is characterised by integrating theory and practice around three main pillars: gender equality in senior positions, academic research and governance models. Over the course of his career, he has published six books on the clergy and leadership in the Church.

For his part, the Rector of the University of Deusto, an engineer and theologian, has numerous publications on corporate social responsibility and sustainability applied to business management. His last book was titled Liderazgo basado en la amistad (Leadership Based on Friendship).