Management tips from Pope Leo XIV — and what his leadership style means for the Catholic church

American-born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was introduced to the world on Thursday from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, becoming the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church — and the first ever pope from America.

Before becoming pope, Prevost was chosen in 2023 by Pope Francis to be in charge of selecting bishops. In August 2024, he said during a talk at St. Jude Parish in Chicago that Francis chose him for “a different perspective.”

With 133 voting cardinals, the 69-year-old polyglot and naturalized Peruvian citizen was elected by the Conclave to succeed Pope Francis, who died in April.

Two cardinals who spoke to the Washington Post noted that he was seen as a skilled manager.

From looking through past interviews, it’s evident that Pope Leo XIV’s management style could reshape the Catholic church — and provide us with tips on leadership.

‘Listen to his neighbors’

Pope Leo XIV has placed emphasis on the idea of synodality promoted by Pope Francis — a concept that emphasizes the importance of everyone working together in communion to make decisions about the life and mission of the Church.

In an interview with Vatican Media in 2023, Leo XIV said that a bishop should possess the “ability to listen to his neighbor and seek advice,” in addition to having a “much broader vision of the Church and reality and experience the universality of the Church.”

“A fundamental element of the portrait of a bishop is being a pastor, capable of being close to the members of the community, starting with the priests for whom the bishop is father and brother,” said Leo XIV. “To live this closeness to all, without excluding anyone.”

Promoting inclusivity

Leo XIV praised Pope Francis’ 2022 decision to name three women as full members of the dicastery — a department or office of the central administrative office of the Catholic Church, also known as official congregations — which gives them a voice on the selection of bishops.

In a March 2024 interview with Catholic News Service, Leo XIV said that the inclusion of women “contributes significantly to the process of discernment in looking for who we hope are the best candidates to serve the church in episcopal ministry.”

Under Pope Francis, women of faith have joined priests as voting representatives for religious orders for the very first time, and when appointing 70 non-bishop members of the synod in 2023, Francis had also asked that half of them be women.

Leading by example

Leo XIV commended Pope Francis in a March 2024 interview with Catholic News Service for being “a pastor who preaches by gesture” in his “effective and important” pushback against attitudes of clericalism among bishops.

Clericalism is the belief that church leaders are morally better and more talented than regular people, and that their authority should be the main focus.

“It’s important to find men who are truly interested in serving, in preaching the Gospel,” said Leo XIV in the 2024 interview with Catholic News Service, “Not just with eloquent words, but rather with the example and witness they give.”

“And we must not hide behind an idea of authority that no longer makes sense today. The authority we have is to serve, to accompany priests, to be pastors and teachers,” Leo XIV added in a 2023 interview with Vatican News.

Non-partisanship

While Leo XIV has been critical of policies, he has cautioned against partisanship and anchors most of his criticism in Catholic social teaching — the church’s guide on how to approach social, economic, and ecological issues.

In mid-April, the then-cardinal shared a post in what appears to be his X account criticizing Trump and El Salvador’s president for mocking the deportation of Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The post linked to a Catholic Standard article in which Bishop Evelio Menjivar asked Catholics, “Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”

In February, he also shared articles on X that are critical of Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, including one from the National Catholic Reporter. He echoed the headline in his post: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”

The article challenged Vance’s assertion in a Fox News interview that it is a “Christian concept” to prioritize loving those closest to them over people from other nations, in reference to the treatment of immigrants.

In 2017, the day after the Las Vegas music festival mass shooting on October 1, when Leo XIV was the Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, the account also shared a post from a Democratic senator, criticizing Republicans for not speaking up about gun violence, and that their “cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers.”

Voting records show that he voted in three Republican primaries in the state of Illinois in Will County between 2012 and 2016. Illinois voters do not register by party, so voting in Republican primaries doesn’t necessarily indicate a person’s party affiliation.

Leo XIV has never endorsed a party or a candidate and urged unity over partisanship.

“We must be able to listen to one another,” said Leo XIV in a 2023 interview with Vatican Media, “To recognize that it is not a question of discussing a political agenda or simply trying to promote the issues that interest me or others.”

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