Lessons in leadership from Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey are those that could be found in Sunday School.

The Republican politician said he looks to the teachings of Jesus Christ as a model of leadership.

"Our greatest example is Jesus Christ," Armey said. "It was never about him. It was about us and it was never about anything else."

He spoke to University of Mary students Thursday about using Christian values in leadership following the convocation with the North Dakota Policy Council in two fundraiser forums about free market economics.

At its base, Armey said his philosophy is about respect, responsibility and not being selfish. In politics, that can be difficult.

"Politics is the only place I've seen where you can prosper by being dishonest and misinformed," Armey said. When the House lost its Republican majority, it was because of legislators making decisions for the wrong reasons, he said.

"You don't have to share my religious convictions," he said."It has to be about something outside yourself."

He tries to remember that when a person is elected, "they are not given power, they are given responsibilities," he said.

He said he takes an approach akin to the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

He credits three women, besides his wife Susan, with reminding him of and refining his concepts of leadership. They were his wife's grandmother, a member of his church, and Mother Teresa. These women taught him about serving others, respect and the pitfall of self-importance, he said.

His grandmother-in-law reminded him about Jesus' teaching of service to others in a lucid moment when she said to her granddaughter, "Isn't it wonderful what Jesus did for us?"

Armey said that public service provides a unique opportunity to serve many people, a position that is given to a person by voters. Some elected positions come with a perceived idea of power or status, so it's easy to get caught up in this and feel self-important, he said.

One day in church, a visitor was excited over attending services with Armey. He enjoyed the attention, but was put in his place by another church member.

"'(She) looked at me and said 'You know, young man, it's not about you, but Jesus,'" Armey said.

Armey said he got another lesson in humility during a meeting with Mother Teresa and was impressed by the deference a cardinal showed her.

"She had status because of years of service," Armey said. "He had status by virtue of his position … I was impressed with his humility and awareness."

He said he practiced his lessons in Congress. As majority leader he controlled what bills went before the House. In 2002, Armey kept a bill for community health center funding from the House floor until another bill on funding for clinics that performed abortions could be heard, according to a September 2002 Associated Press article.

After Armey's presentation, he took questions from the audience, who asked him about the economy, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and a book about Vice President Dick Cheney.

From Armey's perspective, the economy is not hurting, but the financial markets are hurting and he sees Palin as the culmination of the women's movement, with her husband supportive enough to let her career outshine his. About the Cheney book, Armey said he had feared Cheney had misled him about the war in Iraq, but doesn't believe that he did.

Armey was born in Cando and attended Jamestown College and the University of North Dakota. He said his North Dakota roots taught him discipline and integrity, recalling the advice his father gave him when he was 16 - to keep his nose clean.

"If you can ask it of a 16-year-old kid on a date, you should be able to ask the same of a senator," he said.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@bismarcktribune.com.)