The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in the Bangalore Province, Chandapura, recently held an educational seminar for sisters serving in the education ministry. The theme of the seminar was “Administrative Skills for Transformative Leadership: From Managing Systems to Shaping Culture.” Sister Nirmala Arul, CJ, teacher-in-charge at Government College, Kolkata, served as the resource person for the program.
The Trichy Community set a spiritual tone for the day with an opening prayer service that beautifully framed leadership as a divine calling. Following this, Sister Elizabeth Jaya Rani formally introduced Sister Nirmala to the participants.
Sister Nirmala guided the group on a journey from traditional management — simply keeping things running — to transformative leadership that changes the heart and culture of a school. She also focused on the methodology of transformation, specifically the “See, Judge, Act” framework. Through reflection and open group discussions, the leaders confronted real-world challenges, including fear of failure and communication gaps, and reframed them as stepping stones for growth.
To ensure SCN institutions remain vibrant and continue moving forward with a clear vision while keeping core values intact, the seminar outlined several progressive and actionable goals for the coming years:
- Practicing servant leadership in action
- Advancing technological and ecological progress
- Empowering the next generation of leaders
- Caring for support staff
The seminar concluded with a moving activity. Each participant shared a single word of hope for the future, along with one practical step they would immediately implement upon returning to their respective ministries. The Sisters and staff returned to their communities with renewed courage and enthusiasm to continue their sacred calling of shaping the future of the country.