White Book of Good Leadership Practices

What the White Book is

The White Book of Good Leadership Practices in the Church and Christian organisations (Polish: Biała Księga Dobrych Praktyk Liderskich) is a project for leaders, animators, pastors and those responsible for communities, movements, works, parishes and Church organisations. In the words of its preamble, it arises „in response to the need to build mature, responsible and transparent leadership that protects the community, supports leaders, fosters the development and growth of people, and strengthens the credibility and durability of its mission”.

The White Book is the fruit of the Leaders' Forum held during The Global Leadership Summit in November 2025 in Warsaw. A team of leaders and priests works on its provisions; the project is coordinated by Mariusz Marcinkowski and Robert Plesko, under the patronage and with the pastoral support of Bishop Artur Ważny.

The preamble - understanding leadership

The preamble defines leadership in the light of the Gospel, quoting Jesus: „If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). Leadership:

means giving direction, developing people, making decisions and building an organisational culture grounded in service, respect, humility and responsibility.

And further: „Ultimately, healthy leadership is not an end in itself; it is a tool for the growth of people and the fulfilment of the mission”.

The image of Jerusalem's walls

The project is inspired by the biblical image of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The walls are not a symbol of isolation but „a sign of order, boundaries, responsibility and standards that protect the community and create a safe space for the development of its charism, spiritual life and missionary sending”. The aim is not a closed fortress but a mature, safe and open community.

The preamble distinguishes the „walls” from the „temple”. The temple is what is most specific to each community: its charism, spirituality, path of formation and way of living the mission. The White Book does not „build the temple” in place of the community, nor impose a single model of Church life. It supports the rebuilding of the „walls” - a healthy culture of leadership rooted in sound ecclesiology, communion with the Church, clear rules of accountability, transparency and mature structures of service.

Challenges it responds to

The preamble names the challenges of today's communities: leader overload, unclear roles, difficulties with succession, weakened trust and the risk of abuse. The White Book is meant as a tool for shared reflection and responsible action, and as an expression of care for future generations of leaders - for healthy succession and the responsible handing on of the mission.

A particular value of the document is that it describes different Church traditions of leadership and management, with their strengths, opportunities and risks. It does not set models against each other but helps to understand their logic.

Provisions of the White Book

Each provision has its own entry in this encyclopedia:

1. Relationship with the Church superior
2. Leader ecology
3. Team leadership
4. Selection and preparation of leaders
5. Financial and managerial transparency
6. Leader formation
7. Discernment in decision making
8. Periodic 360-degree review
9. The discipleship method
10. Mentoring and spiritual accompaniment
11. Inter-community mentoring

How the project works

The project has two aims: to publish and widely share the White Book as a reference document, and to build a network of communities and organisations that support one another in implementing it. In practice:

• a White Book team in each organisation works through the provisions and diagnoses its practices, with materials, diagnostic tests and mentoring support;
• regional meetings once a month in a region or diocese to share results and build a community of leaders;
• expert support through individual consultations.

More at bialaksiega.pl (in Polish).