By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic

IRVING — Diocesan and parish employees, priests, deacons, and Catholic school personnel gathered at the University of Dallas in July for a two-day workshop led by J. Lee Whittington, Ph.D., dean of the Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business at UD. A partnership between the Diocese of Dallas and the University of Dallas, “The Effective Leader” development program, held July 22-23, focused on helping attendees build upon their skills in business, ministry, and leadership.

According to Whittington, the goal of the workshop is to empower leaders from diocesan entities, parishes, and Catholic schools throughout the diocese. Auxiliary Bishop Greg Kelly said the idea for the workshop emerged from a December 2023 meeting that brought together various stakeholders, including diocesan officials and university representatives.

“We were looking for ways to build effective programs to serve priests and others in leadership positions,” Bishop Kelly explained, adding that Whittington played a key role in that meeting. “He kept saying, ‘The answer is yes. Just tell us the question.’”
Whittington said the meeting proved the catalyst for sparking a partnership to form and find ways to bolster leadership throughout the diocese.

“As I listened to everyone share their roles and responsibilities, it became clear that leadership was a common thread across all these areas,” Whittington said. “Whether it’s a priest leading a parish, a layperson managing a ministry, or an administrator running a school, the need for strong leadership is evident.”

Recognizing this need, Whittington said UD leveraged its expertise in leadership development to create a program that addresses the unique challenges faced by Catholic leaders.

“One of the core competencies we have at the University of Dallas is leadership,” Whittington explained. “I’ve been teaching leadership for decades, and I realized we could develop something practical and beneficial for the Catholic community.”

The workshop is the first step in what Whittington hopes will be a broader initiative.

“We have a vision, a dream. This workshop is just the beginning,” Whittington said. “We’re aiming to equip leaders in the diocese and beyond, and we hope to eventually expand into larger events, like a leadership summit with breakout sessions on specific topics.”

Empowering leaders
Whittington emphasized the importance of providing leaders with the skills they need to succeed, noting that many people in leadership roles within the Church are passionate about their mission but may lack the tools to manage the human side of their responsibilities.

“There’s a business to be run, people to be led, and teams to be built,” he said. “Too often, we place passionate people in leadership roles without equipping them for success. We want to change that.”

The workshop also addressed the need for customized leadership approaches.

“Leadership is not one-size-fits-all,” Whittington said. “You have to customize your leadership for each individual and for the team as a whole. The dynamics of a team can change, and as leaders, we need to be ready to adapt.”

Reflecting on the feedback from attendees, Whittington said one of the most important things discussed was the importance of communication—transferring understanding effectively.

“Whether it is about setting expectations or providing performance feedback, good communication is crucial in any leadership role,” he said.

Father Kevin Kolker said he and fellow members of this 2023 ordination class were invited to the workshop.

“We were all invited to participate in order to further our leadership skills as we move into the second year of priestly ministry,” Father Kolker said. As I dive into a new role as chaplain of the Catholic Campus Ministry at SMU, I’ll certainly need the leadership skills.”

Father Kolker said the two-day workshop provided “excellent examples” of pitfalls into which teams and their leaders often fall.

“These practical tools for keeping staff dynamics virtuous and effective will bear fruit for those we serve,” he explained, adding, “The workshop was a joyful opportunity to connect with parish leaders from around the diocese, while sharpening leadership skills.”

Bishop Kelly said the leadership program was intended to be a pilot program for leaders.

“Our hope is that it would leave them eager for more of the same. I think it accomplished its goals,” Bishop Kelly said, adding that as the associate director for the diocesan Office of the Clergy, Deacon Kevin Bartholomew was instrumental in rallying interest and attendance at the workshop. “I am looking forward to additional joint efforts between us and the University of Dallas in the future.”

Whittington said the leadership initiative has already sparked interest in expanding the program.

“There’s talk about doing this on a quarterly basis and offering additional programming on topics like human resource management, financial aspects of running a parish, and technology,” Whittington said. “Our goal is to serve the needs of the Catholic community, build up the Church, and ultimately glorify God by being good stewards of the gifts we’ve been given.”
Ultimately, Whittington said he hopes those who participated in the workshop left with a sense of empowerment.

“As leaders, our job is to create environments where people can flourish and thrive,” he said. “If we do this right, we can change the culture and create spaces where people feel supported and equipped to succeed. It’s about cultivating virtuous leaders who can make a lasting impact on their communities.”

Cutline for featured image: University of Dallas President Jonathan J. Sanford welcomes participants to “The Effective Leader” workshop at UD on July 22. The workshop is the product of a collaborative effort by the Diocese of Dallas and UD to empower leaders from diocesan entities, parishes, and Catholic schools throughout the diocese.