A great way to learn is to study the masters. Want to improve your golf swing? Watch a pro. If you want to become a better leader, learn from those you respect. In this edition of By Your Life, we talk about what distinguishes the great from the good, and how they have withstood the test of time.
Mass Readings Audio
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/2019/19_06_02-ascension.mp3
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – June 2, 2019
Happy Easter Season again, and welcome to the sixty-second episode of By Your Life. I’m Lisa Huetteman and I know that you have a hundred different things you could be doing right now, so I thank you for coming to By Your Life. If you haven’t already, please sign up for notifications on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Himalaya, or wherever you listen, or on the right side of the page so I can let you know when each new episode is posted. And please forward to a friend, if you think they would benefit from By Your Life.
My goal is to inspire, empower, support, challenge, and encourage you to connect Sunday, with Monday-Friday, in a secular, business world. It’s my desire to help you live our Catholic faith in the marketplace. I hope to offer you practical ways to go forth and glorify the Lord by your life.
In this edition, we’ll reflect on the readings for the Ascension of the Lord. In some dioceses, this solemnity is celebrated on Ascension Thursday. However, most dioceses across the US celebrate the solemnity on this Sunday, instead of the Seventh Sunday of Easter.
The Ascension of the Lord was the end, but also the beginning. It was the end of Jesus’ physical body and the beginning of his Mystical Body. For three years, Jesus prepared his disciples for this moment, even though they may not exactly have felt prepared. Then, He enjoined them saying, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Lk 1:8) and then he was taken from their sight. And here we are, 2,000 years later, continuing to be his witnesses. That’s just amazing!
The steadfastness of the Church reminded me of Jim Collins’ and Jerry Porras’ book, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. In the book, the authors look at eighteen exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in comparison to one of its top competitors to figure out what made them different and how they stood the test of time. The oldest of the eighteen companies was founded in 1812 and the youngest in 1945 with an average founding year of 1897. As remarkable as that sounds, it is a mere 122 years. The Catholic Church, by comparison, has stood the test of time for two centuries.
Of course, the Church has one advantage that the “Built to Last” or visionary companies do not have, and that is the Holy Spirit. Before ascending, Jesus said, “Behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Lk 24:49) But if we look at what the Church and the “Built to Last” companies have in common, we can see many similarities, (if you will allow me the liberty of using business terms when describing the Church.) First, they are all premier institutions in their “industry”; They are led by widely admired and knowledgeable “businesspeople”; They have made an indelible imprint on the world in which we live; They have all had multiple generations of “chief executives”; and they were founded before 1950.
Truly great institutions make a positive and indelible imprint on the world in which we live.Another thing the Church and the visionary companies have in common is that they have not been perfect throughout their existence. They have seriously stumbled at least once, if not multiple times throughout their history. However, they are resilient and bounce back from adversity. The reason is that they are deeply rooted in a core ideology, their purpose, and core values, and they deeply believe and consistently live, breath and express it in all that they do.
Companies that are built to last are deeply rooted in a core ideology and they consistently live, breath and express it in all they do. ~ Jim Collins @level5leadersDo you and your team have a common purpose and shared core values? If not, you’re building your organization of sand. Your purpose and core values are the rock upon which a sustainable organization is built. You won’t always be able to make decisions for your team, nor should you. That’s micro-managing and you are stunting the organization’s growth by being the bottleneck through which all decisions must flow. Instead, when each person is rooted in the same core values and seeking the shared purpose, they will make appropriate decisions themselves, maybe even better decisions because they are the ones closest to the problem.
Before Jesus died, rose, and ascended into heaven, he repeatedly taught his apostles the Truth upon which to build his Church. The purpose is the salvation of mankind and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (Jn 14:6) Jesus spoke to the apostles of the Kingdom of God. The coming of God to reign on earth as He reigns in Heaven. This is the core ideology, the rock-solid foundation upon which He built his Church. Then, he turned it over to his disciples, in the most successful execution of a succession plan ever known to man. So today, thanks to the twelve and all those who came to believe and preach the Good News throughout the centuries, we are here today believers and defenders of the faith.
Like the “Built to Last” companies, over the years the Church has adapted and changed while preserving the core “ideology.” In addition to the first council in Jerusalem (Acts 15), there have been 21 councils of the bishops of the Catholic Church. While some of these councils addressed doctrine and others were more pastoral, all of them protected the Truth while making the Church more effective in dealing with the contemporary world.
This week, one of the candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President was quoted as saying she “identifies” as a Catholic, although she attends religious services at non-Catholic churches and disagrees with Catholic teaching on “many things,” including abortion, LGBT issues, and the all-male priesthood. She said, “I think [the Church] is wrong on those three issues, and I don’t think they’re supported by the Gospel or the Bible in any way. I just–I don’t see it, and I go to two Bible studies a week. I take my faith really seriously.”
I’m not here to judge anyone’s faith. However, based on my own experience and difficulty accepting the Church’s teaching over my lifetime, I’d suggest that it is okay to question the teaching if such questioning leads you to find out why the Church teaches what she does. I have personally rejected the Church’s teaching because of my ignorance and pride, only to come around and accept it with greater conviction after seeking understanding.
The Church is not a democracy that floats with the changing tide of popular opinion. This can be hard to accept because it is contrary to popular wisdom that asks, “How should we change?” in response to a changing world. Instead, organizations like the Church that are “Built to Last” ask, “What do we stand for and why do we exist?” The answer to these questions should never change. As the Jim Collins and Jerry Porras put it when speaking about the “Built to Last” companies:
“[They] distinguish their timeless core values and enduring purpose (which should never change) from their operating practices and business strategies (which should be changing constantly in response to a changing world.) They continuously remind themselves of the crucial distinction between core and noncore, between what should never change and what should be open for change, between what is truly sacred and what is not.”
As imperfect as she has been over time, the Church has never lost track of what is truly sacred and what is not. So, if you are struggling with the teaching of the Church, you are not alone. It is hard to accept sometimes. It is certainly hard to live on a daily basis. But as Peter said to Jesus, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:68-69), we must think about where we would go.
This principle of distinguishing between the non-negotiable principles and the ever-evolving strategies and tactics is essential to long-term success. Because of the importance of the foundation of the purpose and values, both the visionary companies and the Church look from within to find their new leaders. The rock-solid foundation that is based in their core ideology is exceedingly more important than the charisma, talent, knowledge, and expertise of any one person who may hold the title of CEO. For this reason, these organizations grow and cultivate future leaders from within.
Whether you are an individual contributor, a team leader, department manager, director, VP or CEO, you should always be teaching and developing your replacement. If you don’t, you’ll be holding yourself and your team back. With no one to step in to take your place, you’ll be limiting your ability to grow, develop and take on new challenges. That’s why the #1 job of every leader is to develop his or her people. So, approach each day with the goal of reinforcing the core principles and beliefs and teaching the practical tasks to someone you work with. You’ll not only be assisting them to develop their career, but you’ll also be helping yours.
The #1 job of a leader is to develop his or her people.Which brings me to the next focus of visionary companies that is shared by the Church. You won’t hear them speak about beating the competition. Instead, they focus on beating themselves. They ask, “How can we improve ourselves to be better tomorrow than we are today?” This process of continuous improvement was the topic of last week’s episode of By Your Life, so I won’t expand on it here. Suffice it to say, lasting institutions don’t stand still, and they don’t fall backward. They keep making themselves better, one day at a time.
So, whether you’re a solopreneur, a leader in a multinational corporation, or anything in between, these principles apply to you. They apply in non-corporate organizations like not-for-profits, school districts, healthcare organizations, colleges, governments, teams, and even families. Are you grounded in rock-solid principles and core values that guide you personally and professionally? Do you know the difference between what is non-negotiable truth and what are practices that can and should be changed in response to current circumstances? Do you share these truths and teach others every day? And, do you look for ways to become, as Matthew Kelly says, a better-version-of-yourself every day?
These are just some of the enduring principles that have guided companies that were “Built to Last.” They are the principles that have guided the Church from its founding until today. As Catholics who also work for a living, we can draw strength from these principles that build an enduring, great institution. We can also draw wisdom from the Holy Spirit to guide us in the way of his Truth.
So, this week, let’s join the apostles who waited for the Holy Spirit and so also wait for him to guide our decisions and actions. Let us contemplate what is core and what should change. And, let’s be his witnesses by our lives.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations, through Christ our Lord, Amen.
May God bless you abundantly this week and may you glorify the Lord by your life. Amen.
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