Leadership Insights Learned In 2020

I have not met anyone that disagrees 2020 has been an unwelcome guest in our lives. Our daily- weekly rhythms have been disrupted. We have learned new concepts – Social Distance, Shelter-in-Place, Essential Workers, ZOOM, etc. We have witnessed the hypocrisy of social mandates that have allowed Liquor Stores to remain open while churches were shut down; Allow limited seating at eateries with masks yet allow social protesting without masks; allow Grandpa to take his last breath without the presence of a loving family. Yes, 2020 will leave several emotional scars on our lives for the remainder of our days.

There are so many Leadership insights that I could highlight from 35 weeks of COVID-19 Pandemic. I will limit my insights to a handful of lessons learned. Here is my selection.

Leading Beyond The Blizzard

Seven days after our national shut-down Andy Crouch of Praxis Journal wrote (March 20, 2020) COVID-19 is not just something to “get through” for a few days, weeks, or months. Instead COVID-19 should be treated as an economic and cultural blizzard, winter, and beginning of a new “little ice-age” – a once in a lifetime change that is likely to affect our lives and organizations for years. What is amazing this article was wrote while everyone else was declaring that we would be back in our churches in a couple of weeks.

Mental-Emotional Health

Overnight families were faced with managing parenting, house cleaning, work-at-home schedules, e-learning for the children, etc. Pastors were forced into the Digital Church Production mode, online giving, ZOOM small groups, and facilities with no one present. These unique pressures have sky-rocketed mental/emotional health issues. Currently Ministers are facing emotional health concerns that are 10x greater than any other point in history. Family counseling is desperately needed. Leadership Coaching is at an all-time high, yet there is a serious reluctance on the part of ministers because of looking weak. Innovation in “Family Ministry” is needed where weekend marriage retreats fall woefully short.

Traffic Light Habits

David Ferguson wrote about three types of people that have been created in the COVID-19 journey. He uses the traffic light analogy. RED LIGHT people are very cautious, stay distant from others, and shelter-in-place. YELLOW LIGHT people will venture out with caution and concern. GREEN LIGHT people are “peddle-to-the-metal” types that question if all of this is even real. He goes on to write that what started out as a medical concern has now turned into habit forming behavior. Red Light people now prefer to stay at home and work, exercise at home, and watch church services on their schedule. Yellow Light people enjoy the small group watch party idea of community and relationship building over the large crowds. Green light people are ready to get back into large crowds as though nothing has happened. Ferguson’s analogy has become a great way to under why the “PHYGITAL CHURCH” (Physical-Digital) will now be part of the faith expression of people moving forward. The average church on campus is averaging 50% of pre-COVID attendance nationally. Church is no longer a one-size fits all approach.

Learned Helplessness

Dr. Henry Cloud states that any crisis thrust upon us that we do not create can lead us to a loss of control. When the reality of this fact is not dealt with, Cloud suggests our daily habits become a pattern of “Learned Helplessness.” We stop responding at all and simply check out on our future by drifting into passivity. We wait for the “old normal” to return so we can restart our living once again. Unfortunately, we lose when attempting to either wait for or recreate the past.

One Solution For Our Future – REPENTANCE!

There are two Old Testament Characters that instruct us for such a time as this. First of Moses demonstrates leaving the people in the valley while ascended the Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Upon his return from the Mount Sinai, Exodus 34:29-35 gives us the account of the people’s reaction; “…. his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord…. they were afraid to come near to him…” Exodus 24:29-30. In the face of significant crisis and the loss of national identity, Moses demonstrates for us the need to be in God’s presence to such an extent that it is obvious to the worshippers that the man or woman of God has been in the presence of God and is now speaking a fresh word from Heaven.

The Second Old Testament character that speaks to our need is King Josiah. 2 Kings 22-23 gives us the narrative of the King thoroughly destroying any and all symbols of idol worship and evil that had been performed in the Temple of God. Even to the burning of the bones of dead false prophets so there would no marker to ever return back to their memory or recall. As you read 2 Kings 22-23 you cannot help but notice the extensive work of repentance and removal of all things that have dishonored the Lord. What is most striking about King Josiah’s story is the Lord’s response in 2 Kings 22:20; Therefore, I will allow you to die and be buried in peace. You will not have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place…” God honored the repentance but did not stop the coming destruction. Are we at such a crossroads in America?