“I resolved to do the little that was in my power; that is, to follow the evangelical counsels perfectly as I could and strive that these few persons who live here do the same” (St. Teresa of Ávila).

Whenever I think of the Communion of Saints in contextual terms, I drive an unnecessary wedge between myself and them. Falling trap to relativistic and modern thinking leaves me with a nice sentiment—but a lack of direction to how I can tangibly apply these saintly stories to my daily life. “Principles of Change: Teresa of Avila’s Carmelite Reform and Insights from Change Management,” by Kristina R. Olsen, Ph.D., DBA, helped me realize there really is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Any business leader (or parent) knows the challenge of introducing something, whether it’s as conceptual as a different way of managing a process or something more tangible like learning a new software program. Where there is change, there is resistance.

No one knew this better than St. Teresa of Ávila, who was responsible for founding 17 convents throughout Spain and restoring the Carmelite Order to its contemplative and prayerful origins. In this short read, Olsen explains Teresa of Jesus’ 16th-century reform of the Carmelite Order and the organizational change management principles we can learn from it today, looking in particular at St. Teresa’s writings on leadership (“On Making the Visitation”) and purpose (“The Constitutions”):

Identify Inefficiencies

St. Teresa experienced that the original rule of the Carmelite order wasn’t being observed in the Incarnation Monastery, which led the community to fall into laxity and reduced both physical resources and prayer time. She saw this lack of a recollected atmosphere as a problem that hindered the focus and emphasis on God and decided to do something about it.

Communicate Your Vision

St. Teresa communicated her intention to restore and reform the order to her like-minded sisters, who would eventually be the first group to move into her reformed Carmelite community at St. Joseph’s in Ávila. She showcased the usefulness and usability of her idea to grow this first small group of supporters, thanks to her “spirit of determination, combined with articulate speech and reasonable arguments to help get people on [her] side.”

Encourage the Adoption of New Ideas

Olsen cites Everett Rogers (author of “Diffusion of Innovations”), who identifies four elements needed for the adoption of new ideas:

• The innovation itself (St. Teresa outlined her guidelines for a return to the original Carmelite rule in her “Constitutions”).

• Communication channels (St. Teresa spoke to many influential people, writing to scholars, priests, benefactors, and others to spread word of her reform intentions).

• Time (St. Teresa spent the last 20 years of her life establishing reformed monasteries).

• A social system with established norms (St. Teresa integrated the reform within existing laws and regulations by gaining buy-in from governors, city magistrates, and religious authorities).

Take on Leadership in Love 

Seeing that an organization often took on the characteristics of the person in charge, St. Teresa wrote that prioriesses should be sensitive to the capabilities and desires of the people they directed and stay aware of everyone’s individual spiritual path.

She was also wise in determining the most important points to write down when outlining roles and responsibilities. These specific directions provided an easily repeatable process, which encouraged the sustainable and realistic growth of the reform.

Overcome Negativity

The power of a change agent is his or her ability to influence participants to consider anything new as a benefit to their livelihood. St. Teresa of Ávila was able to make friends in high places and rely on the help of unlikely allies, gaining enough social support to influence civil and religious authorities. One of my favorite supporters in the book is a poor young man sent by a Franciscan friar who ended up being a game-changer in one of St. Teresa’s plans and left her “amazed by the designs of God.”

Expand on Success

After spending five peaceful years in her first reformed Discalced Carmelite convent, the Carmelite prior general at the time (Giovanni Battista Rossi, whom she referred to in Spanish as Juan Bautista Rubeo) asked St. Teresa to establish more reformed monasteries, which led her to establish 16 more monasteries for women and, with St. John of the Cross, two for men, from 1567 to 1582. 

Whether you’re a business founder pushing forward innovations and ideas or a line manager looking after a team, this short and straightforward read will inspire you to be a leader like St. Teresa of Ávila. (Plus, you’ll learn about the fascinating history of the Carmelite order along the way!)

Delphine Chui is a London-based cradle Catholic who strayed away from the Church for over 10 years. Convicted and undeniably pursued by God and Our Lady when she hit 30, she has been chasing truth and love ever since. Her radical reversion saw her completely change her life, taking on a whole new approach to her career, friendships and relationships. A former mainstream magazine journalist, Delphine now works full-time on her charity, CareDogs, which helps bring lonely or socially-isolated older people back into the community through canine companionship. When she’s not attending Traditional Latin Mass or doing something cat/dog-related (she has both at home), she can be found listening to podcasts or journaling. You can connect with her and say hi on Instagram.