When I first started thinking about Theresa of Avila, I did not think that I would be connecting this post with Best Buy’s ROWE program. I’ll explain later. I’ll start with the hero of this post, Theresa of Avila, who was a nun in the convent of the Carmelites over 400 years ago. The church’s structure then and today is similar to a corporation in that there is a hierarchy and major decisions can’t be made without approval. She had been in the convent for a while and after a brainstorming session with a few sisters she decided that a focus on a more simple lifestyle would create an ideal environment for prayer and meditation. She made it her mission for the rest of her life to make this dream of a new monastery come true. She wanted a place completely detached from material pursuits.
She started to share her vision with a few people and encountered violent opposition. She struggled for a long time to gain support for the convent. She felt completely alone in this whole process but did not give up. With a measured approach she talked to individuals initially gathering support and a lot of people turned on her. In a secretive fashion, she made plans with the help of her brother in law and a few nuns to buy a small house. The arrangements were made to transform the house into the new convent. Five nuns moved in including Theresa and the convent was established. As soon as this happened, her superior at the old convent ordered her to come back, the town sued her, and she was threatened with the Inquisition. When all this was going on, Theresa showed incredible courage by staying calm despite the attacks. She never allowed anything to stop her from taking each step to make this project a reality.
After much struggle, the bishop allowed the new foundation to be established. The lawsuit was dropped and the people turned around embracing the new convent. Theresa was able to influence a new movement from the bottom up. Here I mention how a major change at Best Buy, the ROWE program, which revolutionized the way people work there was started covertly without the approval of upper management.
It takes a great deal of tenacity to move forward with a program that may or may not be aligned with the values of the organization, and move forward without the approval of upper management. Theresa demonstrated a great deal of tenacity.
Accomplishments
- In her life 17 nunneries were established.
- She was made a Saint only forty years after her death.
- In 1970 she was awarded the Doctor of the Church, the first woman ever.
Your Insights and Thoughts
- Do you know a leader who was faced with the impossible and used tenacity to get results? What were the key success factors?
