The Oxford English Dictionary defines “leadership” as “the dignity, office or position of a leader,” and a “leader” as “one who guides others in action or opinion.” Like many dictionary definitions, these tell us little about the deeper meaning of the words. Applied to business, this neutral concept of leadership often equates to mere management or effective administration. But authentic leadership is something more.
In my work, people often tell me they don’t believe they have what it takes to be leaders. Lay Catholics in particular struggle to see themselves in this way — and not without reason. Our faith calls us to humility, and we rightly understand ourselves first and foremost as followers of Christ. Yet this is precisely why we are also called to lead: All the baptized are called to lead others to him.
At its root, leadership is service. Christ, the perfect leader, offers the perfect example — he “did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). If you can serve others, you can lead. In fact, you must. In the Christian vocation, serving and leading are inseparable. Leadership is not a title, a position or a role; it is a responsibility — a call to holiness lived out by guiding others to Christ.
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CRISTOFER PEREYRA is the founder and CEO of Tepeyac Leadership Inc., a Catholic apostolate dedicated to civic leadership development for lay professionals. A member of Holy Family Council 11675 in Avondale, Ariz., he lives with his family in nearby Goodyear.








