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Pope Francis has exercised humility by questioning the mission of the church in the world. This has contributed to his popularity with Catholics as well as those of other faiths. He also exhibits many management and leadership competencies that are applicable in the capitalist world.

1. He lives by example.
Jesuit priests take a vow of poverty. He declined to move into a lavish papal apartment, but lives among the other people inhabiting the Vatican community.
2. He knows the value of reform.
He reorganized the corruption-laden operational arm of the church. For example, he assembled a group of advisers from around the world, and stripped the powerful Secretary of State of some of his powers.
3. He communicates clearly and concisely leaving no room for misinterpretation of his message.
He articulated his views on women on the church and homosexuality.
4. He makes tough decisions quickly.
Instead of sweeping the church’s financial problems under the rug, he made changes at the corrupt Vatican Bank. Pope Francis created a new department, the Secretariat for the Economy, to bring transparency to the finances of the church.
5. He collaborates and accepts diverse views.
He embraces diversity. As part of the Mass of the Last Supper, he went to a juvenile prison and washed the feed of both the men and women, as well as Muslims. This broke the tradition of only washing the fee of the men.
6. He knows his faults.
He stated that he is a sinner. Of course, everyone in the Catholic Church is a sinner. But some leaders do not recognize and admit their faults.
7. He knows he can’t do it alone.
As head of the Jesuit community in Argentina when he was just 36, he says his authoritarian style created problems. He learned that he needs people around him that he can trust.

See more examples of his leadership competencies in this recent article:

“The 7 Management Lessons From Pope Francis”