Heroic Leadership - by Chris Lowney (Paperback)

About the Book

Lowney, a former Jesuit and investment banker, offers leadership lessons from the Jesuits, the renowned religious order whose originality and expertise have stirred admiration for nearly five centuries. (Catholic)

Book Synopsis

Leadership Principles for Lasting Success
Leadership makes great companies, but few of us truly understand how to turn ourselves and others into great leaders. One company--the Jesuits--pioneered a unique formula for molding leaders and in the process built one of history's most successful companies.In this groundbreaking book, Chris Lowney reveals the leadership principles that have guided the Jesuits for more than 450 years: self-awareness, ingenuity, love, and heroism. Lowney shows how these same principles can make each of us a dynamic leader in the twenty-first century.

From the Back Cover

Leaders make great companies, but few of us truly understand how to turn ourselves and others into great leaders. One company--the Jesuits--pioneered a unique formula for molding leaders. In the process, the Jesuits built one of history's most successful companies.
Founded in 1540 by ten men with no capital and no business plan, the Jesuits have been a source of innovation and discovery ever since. In this groundbreaking book, Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit and executive with J. P. Morgan, reveals the leadership principles that have guided Jesuit leaders in their diverse pursuits for more than 450 years.
The Jesuits' enduring success rests upon four core leadership pillars:

- self-awareness: Understand
your strengths, weaknesses, values, and worldview
- ingenuity: Confidently innovate and adapt to a changing world
- love: Engage others with a positive attitude that unlocks their potential
- heroism: Energize yourself and others with heroic ambitions and a passion for excellence

By incorporating these principles into their daily lives, the Jesuits built an organization that has operated a highly efficient international network of trade, education, missionary work, and scholarship for almost five centuries. Lowney shows how these same principles can make each of us a dynamic leader in the twenty-first century.

"I am confident that I would have been a far more effective leader if I had read Heroic Leadership years ago.
Highly recommended!"
--Ron Burkard, Executive Director, World Neighbors

Review Quotes

"Entertaining and well researched, this is a must-read for any business leader, and an inspirational read for anyone who wants to be a better human being."
--Walter Gubert, chairman of the investment bank, J. P. Morgan


"In this absorbing, lucid book, Lowney . . . explores how the Jesuits have successfully grappled with challenges that test great companies. Reflective business people of faith will find Lowney's insights a breath of fresh air."
--Publishers Weekly, starred review


"Lowney does a wonderfully engaging job of making clear the connections between our current leadership challenges and the principles employed so effectively by the Jesuits."
--Edward J. Kelly III, president and ceo, Mercantile Bankshares Corporation

"This informative, fascinating book tells how Jesuits produced both outstanding individual leaders and a culture of leadership. This is a book to be enjoyed, pondered, and put into practice."
--John W. Padberg, S.J., director, Institute of Jesuit Sources CIP


"This 450-year-old institution [seems] as current today as it was four centuries ago. Lowney shows us how every employee can and should be a leader and that love-driven leadership does work."
--Richard K. Green, former president and COO, Blistex, Inc.

"In his book, Heroic Leadership, Chris Lowney uses the history and tradition of the Jesuit order to articulate a model for authentic, moral leadership. As Governor of Colorado, Heroic Leadership helped me think about how to lead better than any other book out there."Bill Ritter, Jr.Former Governor of Colorado

About the Author

Chris Lowney, a former Jesuit, served as Managing Director at J.P. Morgan in New York, Tokyo, Singapore, and London for seventeen years. A popular speaker on issues around leadership, he is the author of the best-selling Heroic Living, and he has been featured in Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, and FastCompany.com. Lowney currently lives in New York where he is a consultant for the Catholic Medical Mission Board.