Tożsamość lidera i jego etyczna formacja
Identity of Leader and his Ethical Formation

Summary/Abstract: The paper of Katarzyna Werkowicz is a review of a book by Piotr Paweł Orłowski Tożsamość lidera i jego etyczna formacja z perspektywy traktatu św. Tomasza z Akwinu o rządach Bożych (S.Th., I, 103-119). The Author discusses the content of a dissertation of Orłowski respectively, indicating at usefulness of Aquinas’ philosophy in the context of formation of characters of persons who perform a role of leaders, indicating at a timeless and practical dimension of the thought of the Angelic Doctor, what in contemporary times of the crisis of authorities, seems to be immensely current and needed. The book of Orłowski is an accurate study of the treatise of St. Thomas on the basis of which the Author presents the characteristics of God’s governance over the world, which is considered the pattern for human governance. This theological - philosophical content has been transferred by the Author into the ground of business, when from a description of Thomas’ metaphysics to his aretology he presents the list of particular virtues he considers useful in governance. The first part of this article introduces the primary issues concerning God’s governance, explaining notions which speak of God as of the ruler: Lat. gubernator, director, dirigens and manductor. The second part presents a concise history of various conceptions of leadership and explains the role of dealing with multiplicity and diversity pointing at their advantages. It also contains a detailed description of a process of decision making and explains the role of a leader illustrated in the metaphor: a helmsman, a doctor and fire. The third part of the article, the most practical, present the model of leadership according to aretology of St. Thomas and introduces a description of virtues necessary in three following areas: general formation of leaders, building relations with others and making decisions fraught with risk. In the text, there is also an interesting study of notions such as: courage, gratuity, trustfulness or freedom. The entire text can be some help, incentive or even a tool for personal development. Many issues treated in this paper regard not only to the process of governing the others but also to governing ourselves.

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