Mitch Albom who is also the narrator of the book, attended Brandeis University in the spring of 1979. Through out college he created a strong relationship with professor Morrie Shwartz. While enrolled in college, Mitch decides to take all of the sociology courses Morrie was teaching. Morrie Schwartz was Mitch Albom’s favorite college professor. At the start of the novel Albom recalls a memory from his college graduation day: he is saying goodbye to Morrie and gives him a tan briefcase with his initials on it. They hug and when Mitch steps back he sees that Morrie is crying. Mitch promises to stay in touch with Morrie but he never does after college.
Since his graduation, Mitch has become a newspaper reporter and husband. He leads a very fast paced life and is constantly working and traveling. He has become so engrossed in his work that it consumes his life. The novel recommences about sixteen years after Mitch’s graduation day; Morrie has since been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Since Morrie’s diagnosis, he began jotting down ideas and thoughts onto scrap paper, yellow pads or even envelopes. He also wrote philosophies about living knowing death was very near. One of his friends was so taken with his writing; he sent them to the Boston Globe reporter, who wrote a feature story about Morrie. The story intrigued one of the producers of the show, “Nightline”, who then did a feature story about Morrie. Mitch happened to see the “Nightline” show and recognized his old professor. He called him to set up a visit.
In reference to the relational leadership model, the meetings they have every Tuesday is the process in which Morrie sends a message to Mitch and gets him to understand the bigger picture in life. He records their discussion so that he can compile notes to eventually publish a book. A project that he and Morrie refer to as their “last thesis together.” Morrie continues to tell Mitch that he wants to share his stories with the world, a book that will allow him to do just that. When Morrie was told he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Instead of sulking around and being miserable after finding out he is diagnosed with ALS, he decides to make death his final project. Instead of being in denial, he tries to cope and understand it.
I seek leadership potential when Mitch takes the initiative to see his former professor every Tuesday and begins the project, “last thesis together.” As weeks pass, Mitch can notice that Morrie is deteriorating due to the condition he is in. You can certainly tell that Mitch cares for Morrie. They treat each other as if they have a relationship of a father and son rather than a professor and student. Morrie took the initiative and guided Mitch through college and life. Morrie has a mentoring relationship with Mitch.
The Inclusive part of the relational leadership model can relate to Mitch visiting Morrie every Tuesday to listen to him speak and gather notes to publish a novel. Through out college it is evident that Mitch understands Morrie as a person. He has taken several of his classes in college and after graduation, sixteen years goes by with out being in contact with one another they re unite as if time hasn’t passed. On the fourth Tuesday they met, they discussed death and how most people do not believe that they are ever going to die. “Morrie tells Mitch that once one learns how to die, they learn how to live.” (Albom, Mitch. Tuesday with Morrie, p. 82).
The purposeful part of the relational leadership model can relate to the novel Mitch published about how to live with the help of Morrie, which sold millions of copies. The purpose for publishing this novel is to get every one to realize that life is too short to take for granted, regardless of what condition you’re in. Mitch could’ve been pursuing his music career and spent more time with his journalist job he had, but he spent every Tuesday with Morrie to gather notes on how to live life to the fullest especially when you’re near death. The purpose of him gathering notes about life and publishing a book with it is to later pay Morrie’s medical bills.
The empowerment part of the relational leadership model references the meetings Mitch has with Morrie every Tuesday. The discussion Morrie has with Mitch becomes more and more empowering as weeks passed and Morrie gets worst. Eventually Morrie stopped dancing; he then eventually is confined to his chair in his study; the disease then prevents him from eating solid foods and moving around without help. Eventually he is bed ridden and fully succumbed to the disease, which finally takes his life. Empowerment is claimed as well as shared with others. It has two dimensions: (1) the sense of self that claims ownership, claims a place in the process, and expects to be involved and (2) a set of environmental conditions that promote the full involvement of participants by reducing the barriers that block the development of individual talent and involvement.
Mitch visiting Morrie every Tuesday was the beginning of the process of the relational leadership model. It relates to process in the relational leadership model because they accomplished a group’s purpose. Every group has a process, and every process can be described. Processes must be intentional and not incidental. The process component of the relational leadership model means that individuals interact with others and that leaders, that would be Morrie in this case and other participants work together to accomplish change.