ABSTRACT
The depth of interior experience and wisdom furnished by the seven Jesuit leaders and Hesburgh provide a guide for exemplary university leadership and provide the keys to staying power in leadership of complex organizational academic cultures. Hesburgh and Spitzer revealed charismatic behaviors in their university leadership styles, all the eight leaders had a charismatic influence, including Sheeran, who noted that he was not a charismatic leader. Hesburgh and the seven Jesuits wore two hats in their leadership and service. As priests, their pastoral hearts influenced their university leadership. As university administrators, their academic and professional lives impacted their university leadership. Jesuit leadership follows personal and communal discernment. These priests exercised Ignatian discernment in the Jesuit University leadership landscape. The university leadership of these priests was a Catholic leadership toward faith and social justice. From the responses of Hesburgh and the seven Jesuits, there was a convergence of the meaning of Jesuit-Catholic education.
