God calls each of us to a higher standard

Magnanimity and humility are necessary virtues that can develop children’s character and teach them how to become great leaders, said Alexandre Havard, an internationally-renowned author and speaker on virtuous leadership.

Havard, a lawyer and university professor, made the trip from Moscow, Russia, to Ontario in November for talks with university student residents at Ernescliff College in Toronto, at Hawthorn School for Girls and at a gala dinner at the Chesterton Academy of Ottawa from Nov. 4-8.

"Character is destiny” was the main theme of Havard’s talk to students, parents, teachers and staff at Hawthorn School for Girls on Nov. 4, where he said character and virtues education go hand in hand to achieve an impressive goal: “The formation of character and virtues is human perfection.”

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Havard describes magnanimity in his books as “the striving of the Spirit towards a great end,” mission or life’s purpose. Furthermore, “magnanimity generates noble ambitions. Humility channels ambitions into serving others.”

“In the Catholic environment, people know about humility, but not magnanimity,” Havard told dozens of parents at an afternoon talk. “People don’t know about the language of talents, only about sin.” 

Yet God calls each one of us to a higher standard, Havard said, noting the importance of character and virtues in the formation of youth.

The Biblical example of servant leadership serves as the foundation of Havard’s talk on virtues-based education. It is an education he asserts goes beyond teaching values alone, which may be subjective rather than objective. Natural virtues, Havard said, lead to the supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity. This is illustrated in an individual’s desire to seek Christian perfection which serves as a path towards God, and knowing God’s will in one’s life. 

“This topic is so crucial for us, for our children and how to teach this in the home,” said Christopher Nivet, co-chair of the Hawthorn School for Girls board, as he introduced Havard.

Nivet said Havard was invited because of Hawthorn School for Girls’ “defined program to integrate virtues development both to our parents first, then our faculty,” thereby allowing students to flourish in the future.

Havard spoke to students and teachers first about the value of character and virtues-based education. In his afternoon talk to about 40 parents, Harvard emphasized how developing virtue leads to the development of great leaders and “extraordinary human beings.”

“At the end of the day, it’s character that gives the orientation of your life,” Havard said. “Character is what defines freedom. Values are not who you are, but you are your virtues.”

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Virtues, he said, develop our capacity to serve humanity.

“Without virtue, we can’t make right decisions,” which is essential for exceptional leadership.

“Virtue allows the individual to have more capacity to dream and to do big things,” he said. “By helping young people to develop character, it will help them become who they were meant to be.” 

Havard said applying virtues-based education to real life involves training the heart, the will and the intellect.

“They have to see the beauty of virtue, to contemplate virtue in movies, books” and in what they are exposed to at school and at home.

“Beauty will save the world,” he said.

On training the heart, Havard said “the heart is your very self” and “has to be submitted to your conscience.”

Notably, this virtues-based approach is countercultural to how the world is today, he said.

“The culture we have today, (what is called) ‘woke-ism,’ is insane sentimentalism,” Havard said, leading to people thinking that “I am the heart, I have no conscience and I don’t care about the intellect.”

This kind of ideology doesn’t form great leaders, he said, because “conscience is the light of God, your intellect or intelligence.”

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Havard ended his talk with a message of hope for teachers and educators.

“Youth are more flexible to change. They have an incredible capacity for change,” he said. “Give them the framework to become extraordinary human beings. At the end of the day, you don’t do what people tell you, but what virtue tells you.”