The Leadership Project

The Leadership Project is inspired by the premise that every great leader in our society must include in his or her life a strong sense of social responsibility. Presently students in the Boston College community are attracted to a professional life that is upwardly mobile, characterized by high achievement and strong financial success. However, what is often missing is a sense of identity and commitment that is more expansive than the self. This awareness includes involvement and leadership in communities, causes and persons which are beyond the scope of one’s own immediate responsibility. The needs of our society in the 21^st century make it imperative that we create a leadership committed to the improvement and transformation of the individual self-interested culture. Our growing leaders need to harbor an expansive awareness in order to create and participate in a society that is more just, caring and compassionate.

The Leadership Project explores what it means to serve, to be a leader, and to have a vocation in life. During each meeting, we will be engaging in large and small group discussion, exploring topics such as power, service, career, lifestyle, success, spirituality, etc. as all will be considered fundamental to the field of human vocation.

Our service will be primarily urban Boston, and we will be working with area professionals, executives, and Alumni from Boston College. This combined community will enrich our discussions and expose our students to leaders who are examples of high achieving individuals with a strong commitment to the betterment of the world around them. We will explore the universality of vocation in many diverse professions and careers. Through service with these mentors, we will investigate the importance of combining action with reflection in leadership in order to make our lives intentional and purposeful, and thus bring us to vocation.

Through caring for and serving others, true leadership is built. As the foundation of human society is community, it is essential that leaders move from the orbit of individual improvement to betterment of the entire society. This is what the Leadership Project hopes to introduce. Because large institutions have become influential to our current society, we hope to foster generous hearts within the people moving as the pulse of these organizations. We will come to the conclusion that one needs more than efficiency, a good business mind and courage to take risks in order to be a good and effective leader. The leader also needs the confidence to care for persons, and the courage to continually serve others in order to be successful. This group would work towards collaborating and running a Freshmen Day of Service incorporating the process and practice of leadership and a generous heart.

For more information, please contact Peter Folan at folanpe@bc.edu or Ryan Mulderrig at mulderri@bc.edu