The Business Leader's Vocation to Social Purpose and Sustainability

Abstract

The document “The Vocation of the Business Leader: A Reflection” (VBL) facilitates the understanding of the Christian leader’s role in these times characterized by serious economic disturbances and growing inequality. VBL points to new movements and programs that have emerged, such as economy of solidarity initiatives, which are examples of economic activity marked by gratuitousness and communion. We seek to integrate the leadership requirements of solidarity economy enterprises with those based on Catholic Social Thought (CST) and the VBL to come up with a more complete set of factors for a construct that can be called “Christian business leadership.” This paper has found that the Christian business leader can add participation and cooperation, as well as a sharp focus on sustainability, to his or her leadership arsenal. The business leader should strive, above all, for personal sustainability which requires, among others, constant reflective work and the exercise of important moral virtues.

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Keywords

Catholic social thought, business leadership, vocation of the business leader, solidarity economy, sustainability, personal sustainability