All of us know that leadership is a demanding thing. Physically, psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Anyone who stands in front of the crowd and points the right direction will take a beating. And yet strangely this is exactly what God asks us to do. Maybe it’s for this reason that our Lord himself took times to rest. In this second part of our series on Leadership Lessons From the Summa, St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us the three different ways that Jesus rested.

Without a doubt leadership requires us to engage other people. Whether it be in networking for new partnerships or interviewing new employees, we live an active life. For many Christians this is problematic. We can sometimes feel that being a leader and being active means that we can’t be as contemplative and prayerful as we should be. In this lesson of leadership coming from St. Thomas Aquinas I lead you in a study of his treatise on the life of Christ to glean insights there.

Few saints exemplify the power of Catholic leadership more than a simple Italian nun named St. Frances Xavier Cabrini. Although plagued with bad health and many restrictions in her life she found a way to be incredibly productive founding schools, orphanages, and hospitals on four continents. She teaches us to overcome whatever lies in our way as we pursue God’s will – sharing with us her personal motto, “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.”