Dear GTU Community,
Much attention has been given to the study of leadership over the past decade. However, the revelations over the past months about the failures of leadership in both the public and private arenas make us all a bit suspect of the success of "leadership studies." The recent scandals among corporate and religious leaders are shocking. The most obvious ethical point in the current analysis is that "leaders" who have been entrusted with responsibilities for the care of others have committed actions—sexual abuse or financial deception—that have hurt the very ones who have trusted them. It seems axiomatic that the cardinal principle for leaders is to help and not to hurt others.
The training of leaders for vocations of scholarship and ministry has always been one of the core missions of the GTU. This has taken the form of shaping the intellectual horizons as well as the formation of persons who have the theological and moral maturity to serve an ecumenical and inter-religious world. I am proud of the work we have done in this area. The recent scandals remind us of the need to be constantly vigilant about leadership training.
This semester I have the pleasure of teaching with my mentor and colleague, Karen Lebacqz of Pacific School of Religion and the GTU, a course entitled "The Ethics of Leadership." Based on Karen's work on clergy and sexual ethics and my own work on professional ethics, we will study the challenging issues that confront any person who assumes a role entailing public or private responsibility.
The GTU continues to embrace its commitment to educate the next generation of religious and academic leaders. We continue to undertake with confidence our own responsibilities as today's leaders. You can be assured of the importance of this commitment to the life of the GTU.
I invite you to join us on campus for some of the many public forums, worship services, and other events that contribute to the life and vitality of the GTU community.
Warm regards,
James A. Donahue