Tagle to politicos: Good leaders listen

CEBU, Philippines - As shepherds, political leaders can become creative and effective public servants if they develop a capacity to listen to their sheep.

This was the ultimate message emphasized yesterday by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle to local candidates who joined the Discernment-Recollection for May 2013 Elections Stakeholders and Candidates.

“A good shepherd listens,” said Tagle, as he elaborated on the theme “Listening: Key to Credible and Effective Public Service.”

Among those who attended were acting Governor Agnes Magpale, gubernatorial candidate Hilario Davide III, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, North District Congressional candidate Raul Del Mar and Cebu 6th District Congressional candidate Nerissa Soon-Ruiz.

Tagle said a good shepherd has the capacity for deep listening, or being able to hear what is unspoken.

“Deep listening is empathizing. It is the capacity to enter the world of others and from that world, I begin to understand and I begin to love,” said Tagle, who spoke for an hour to the candidates.

By deep listening, Tagle said political leaders, as shepherds, should be “united with the sheep so that they will know what their sheep are going through.”

 â€œThere are these shepherds who take care of themselves only, nakikipag-agawan pa sa sheep nila. They become shepherd so that they can kill the sheep and eat it, or only to prepare for their own needs and interests,” Tagle informed.

“The shepherd who uses the sheep for his own interest, the result, they will be scattered and become food or easy prey for all the wild beasts,” Tagle further said.

For this kind of shepherd, Tagle said, “God has promised to go against them.”

However, listening can be dangerous too, said Tagle, for the leader has to adjust his or her own rules.  Nevertheless, this is the true leader that the people long for, the cardinal asserted.

“A true shepherd is willing to take a supreme act of service and that is offering his life to his sheep,” Tagle said.

The cardinal conducted the same lecture for the stakeholders in the morning.  Around 800 attendees were present including bishops, priests, nuns, military and police officers, parish officers and religious groups and the youth group and the media.

The whole-day recollection, which was held at the Sacred Heart Center in Cebu City, was hosted by the Dilaab Foundation, a non-government organization headed by Fr. Carmelo Diola.  — /BRP (FREEMAN)