There is an analogous relationship between the clergy abuse scandal and the coronavirus pandemic.
First, both crises involve innocent victims that were forced to endure immense suffering and pain through no fault of their own. Second, both crises are global stories, the victim cases are not limited to one geographic area or another. Third, both crises have had a profoundly negative impact on the Church.
There is a fourth connection that is not as easy to observe and less important when compared with the suffering of victims. But this connection is very important when looking at the long-term missionary impact of the Church. Here it is: Both crises laid bare a deeply systemic issue in the Church – that some Church leaders abdicated their responsibility to lead in moments of crisis.
The cause of abdication could be fear, apathy or incapacity. It could be a combination of the three or something entirely different. It is likely that every individual has his own reasons for not leaning in as a leader. Each of them understandable, given the gravity of the crises facing the Church.
The purpose of this article is twofold: 1) to illustrate the organizational impact when leaders choose not to lead in a time of crisis, and 2) describe what great leadership looks like in a time of crisis.
The biggest loss during a crisis is the lost opportunity to see and seize positive organizational change. Let’s dive deeper.
The role of leadership is always important but more so in times of crisis.
The role of leadership is always important but more so in times of crisis. Share on XWhy?
Leaders work ON the system, while others work IN the system. Leadership focuses on the improvement agenda, while others focus on the sustaining agenda. Leadership works on closing the gap between what is and what can be and must be. Leaders are committed to organizational change to make things better. Others work within the status quo.
Leaders bring about change. If change were not necessary, leadership would not be necessary. Management would do just fine.
The clergy abuse scandal and the coronavirus pandemic have given the Church an opportunity – unanimous clarity that change is needed and universal hunger to make it happen!
The two crises have created a burning platform to facilitate change in the way we do Church. Without a burning platform, organizations cling to what is familiar, normal, comfortable and routine. The result? They do not improve. They do not advance. They do not get more resilient or visionary or intentional. They maintain the status quo, that’s it. Winston Churchill would call that, “wasting a good crisis.”
Leaders are guilty of wasting a good crisis when they abdicate their responsibility to confront the most brutal facts of current reality.
Leaders are guilty of wasting a good crisis when they abdicate their responsibility to confront the most brutal facts of current reality. Share on XLeaders are guilty of wasting a good crisis when they minimize the universal hunger for change among their people, ignoring the whispers, waiting for screams that may never come.
Leaders are guilty of wasting a good crisis when they forsake the hard work of extracting lessons learned from the crisis.
Leaders are guilty of wasting a good crisis when they abandon courage and allow fear to grip their hearts.
Leaders are guilty of wasting a good crisis when they refuse to see and seize the burning platform opportunity to drive important lessons learned deep into the fabric of the organization.
Leaders are guilty of wasting a good crisis when they refuse to see and seize the burning platform opportunity to drive important lessons learned deep into the fabric of the organization. Share on XJim Collins referred to this coldness of heart inside leaders as the beginning of the end, the top of the slippery slope toward capitulation and death. Sounds dire, I know, but that is intentional.
The Church has the most important mission in the world. We should never settle for the entitled disposition that quotes, “The gates of hell shall not prevail” when the Church is facing a crisis. That’s lazy. We need to do the work of leadership and see then seize the opportunities to get better.
Anyone who studies organizational development understands how important it is to ignite a burning platform to bring about change. The pandemic created the burning platform. Will we have the courage to take the leap toward change? Share on XIn regard to the abuse scandal, a big lesson learned is that the vile crimes committed against vulnerable children were not isolated acts of sexually disordered men. There were systemic, cultural issues like clericalism, closed-in formation systems and lack of accountability of Bishops that needed to be addressed.
For those who find comfort in the fact that most cases brought to light in recent years are historical, taking place decades ago, make no mistake if we do not learn the important lessons of history, we are bound to make the same mistakes. New cases will continue to come forward until the necessary changes are implemented.
On this matter, I am proud of the action taken by Archbishop Michael Miller, CSB, of the Archdiocese of Vancouver. In November 2019, a 12-page report was published online and in the B.C. Catholic. The report was a culmination of a months-long survey of sexual abuse cases that took place in the Archdiocese of Vancouver since 1950. The report was the first of its kind released by any diocese in Canada. Find it here.
The Archbishop accepted all the committee’s recommendations, 31 in total, and has launched an Implementation Working Group to work out the practical details for carrying out the recommendations. This group continues to meet even during the pandemic. The learning we gain from their insight and guidance will have immense benefits for generations to come. It all started with Archbishop Michael having the courage to go there.
With the coronavirus, there is a crisis of pastoral vision. The moment we find ourselves living right now is dripping with opportunities to improve the missionary dimension of every parish. Do we see this clearly? John Maxwell says, “Leaders see clearer than others sees; sooner than others see and further out than others see.” It all starts with a vision.
I am proud of our Parish efforts here in Vancouver. The pandemic has driven many Pastors outside their comfort zones. Their creativity is clearly animated by a love for Jesus and zeal for their people.
Our churches have become quite innovative in their approach to connecting with their people. Livestreaming Mass is only part of the picture. Parking lot confessions, drive-up adoration, prayer groups meeting on Zoom, pastors creating YouTube channels and sending bite-sized messages to their congregations, youth taking groceries to elders …
Some parishes have started a telephone tree through which every parishioner gets a phone call from a volunteer who just checks in every two weeks. That is beautiful, even heroic. Our Pastors are leading the way.
What does great leadership look like in a moment of crisis?
Great leaders are filled with faith. They are confident that one day everyone will look back on the dark time of crisis and see it as a gift that they would not change for anything. This faith-filled approach empowers them to confront even the most brutal facts of current reality, rather than burying their heads in the sand.
Great leaders are filled with faith in times of crisis. This empowers them to confront even the most brutal facts of current reality, rather than burying their heads in the sand. Share on XGreat leaders are filled with hope. They have great expectations that the crisis staring them down has an incredible opportunity to learn something critically important and to drive those learnings deep into the fabric of the organization. This hope-filled approach allows them to attract all the resources necessary to get through the crises and emerge stronger.
Great leaders are filled with love. They have the ability and the desire to make a sincere gift of self to the organization and the people within it. Great leaders know that there is no such thing as servant-leadership – either you are a servant or no leader at all. Their exemplary approach inspires altruism throughout the organization and when that kind of power takes root, there’s nothing the organization can’t overcome.
I wrote a piece on the important lessons to be learned for the Church during the pandemic. It was published in the BC Catholic and can be found here.
Business innovation is about gaining market share. The Church isn’t interested in market share but we are concerned about other metrics. The number of those who do not know Christ and do not belong to the Church is constantly on the increase. Since the second Vatican council, just 50 years ago, this number has doubled. If data drives innovation, this number should drive all kinds of innovation in our churches.
The number of those who do not know Christ and do not belong to the Church is on the increase and doubled since Vatican II. If data drives innovation, this number should drive all kinds of innovation in our churches. Share on XPope Francis has spoken frequently about the danger of communities becoming self-referential. “Pastoral ministry in a missionary key seeks to abandon the complacent attitude that says: ‘We have always done it this way’. I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelization in their respective communities” (EG #33).
So, we have a crisis and the crisis is multi-faceted. It is a health crisis, a financial crisis and a social crisis all in one. But there is also opportunity.
Leaders recognize the burning platform as clearly as a farmer recognizes when the field is ripe for the harvest. And when the field is ripe, the harvest must begin.
Innovation during a time of crisis should be discussed as often and as passionately by pastoral councils in parishes as it is by executive teams in board rooms. Our mission is the one and only eternal mission – we gotta get this right!
[bctt tweet=”Innovation is from the language of greatness. Great organizations all around the world and in every industry are constantly innovating. That is what makes them great.” username=”BrettPowellorg”