This servant leader biopic is on Jean Vanier, who was the founder of L’Arche communities which provides conducive living conditions for the mentally disabled. Since its foundation in 1964, L’Arche communities have been started to 34 other countries and are now including both intellectually disabled and non-disabled individuals. Jean Vanier is a theologian, and philosopher and in 2015 he was awarded the Templeton prize which is an award presented annually to a living person who has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life’s spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical works.
Jean Vanier is very accomplished leader and one of the most honored people, but he didn’t start there. Jean Vanier was a servant first and foremost. He knew he wanted to serve those who were mentally challenged from the very beginning of his encounters. Most people would do their deeds and go, but Jean Vanier was very moved when he first encountered a home that cared for the mentally disabled such that he returned to learn more about them again and again. On Jean Vanier official site, it is noted that on the second encounter, “He visited the psychiatric hospital at Saint-Jean-les-Deux-Jumeaux in a southern suburb of Paris. Living conditions there were very difficult. There he met Raphaël Simi et Philippe Seux and was deeply affected by their suffering. He decided to buy a little house near the Val Fleuri to welcome and live with his new companions. It was not an institution which he created, but a commitment he made to those two men whose cry for friendship had so moved him” ("Biography", n.d). This is a mark of man how chose to serve and destined to be a great leader.
Since Jean Vanier wanted to serve at heart, leadership came naturally. One of the characteristics that dominated was his empathy. He lived and breathed this principle of leadership. He understood that people with disabilities seek love, and acceptance just like those who were not disabled. However, most institutions do not have programs or capabilities to accommodate people who a mentally challenged. On the contrary, Jean Vanier saw the need for these people to be accepted and recognized for their uniqueness. In his biography, “Vanier spoke frankly about why we need people with disabilities: there is a mystery with these people with disabilities; they are the very presence of Jesus. For sure we can see their fragility, their weakness, and their pain, but at the same time we recognize their special place with God” (Higgins, 2016). Ironically by dedicating his life to live and work with those who are vulnerable, marginalized, unrecognized, Jean Vanier received a lot of honors through his works.
As mentioned before, Jean Vanier is very accomplished. In my opinion, his most prized accomplishment was founding the L’Arche communities which was in part as a result of his journey to discover himself. Unlike most philanthropist who just provide the means to a cause, Jean Vanier walked and talked the commitment. Higgins noted that, “For a year Vanier lived at La Forestière with the most severely disabled members of the L’Arche home in Trosly-Breuil, the foundation or motherhouse of the worldwide network of community homes that live under the sign of the Ark” (Higgins, 2016). In some of his interviews, Jean Vanier mentioned that he drove a lot of satisfaction from his work, and he was happy. One would argue that, since the very existence of human life is in pursuit of happiness as put forth by Aristotle, then probably finding himself was the most accomplishment of Jean Vanier.
Starting a successful foundation is not a small feat. According to Jean Vanier official website, currently, L’Arche is made up of 151 communities spread over 5 continents. Some people may be caught up in the numbers, but it is not about the numbers. It is about the uniqueness of the solution Jean Vanier envisioned to provide. Through his journey, he founded a way to respond to the needs of those mental disabilities, who in the past were put in mental institutions which looked like prisons and, in some cases, ignored, rejected and left to wander in the streets. Through his communities, he taught us these people, need love as well, and not only that, they still have a lot to offer to us.
Today’s servant leaders can learn a lot from Jean Vanier. If they would all learn and imitate the general awareness, and especially self‐awareness that Jean Vanier had, they may grow to be very strong servant ‐leader. He asked of us to be mindful of those around of us and provide a hand when we can.
In addition, today servant leaders can learn about ambition, and not afraid to dream big. Servant ‐leaders should hon their skills to develop the ability to look at a problem (like what Jean Vanier did), conceptualize a solution beyond the normal way of doing things and most importantly, commit to the cause and go for it. Sometimes they should not be afraid to give up what seems valuable now to pursue a bigger goal. For example, Jean Vanier left a cushy Navy job to purse his cause. Similarly, Dr. farmer quit his cushy job in the U.S to focus his efforts in helping poor people of Haiti have access to decent healthcare.