Why We Should Work Like the Pope

When I went to school we still had “religion” as a subject. I even had it as a final oral exams topic for my high school diploma. To this day I recall with great satisfaction how I dazzled the panel with my “knowledge” of “realized eschatology”.

The Pope Has Time

I also recall one teacher of Catholic theology first and foremost because he was an odd-ball but an odd-ball who visited sick colleagues in hospital, checked on me during a period when things weren’t all that great and had a sensitivity for misogyny which would not be out of place today. He also said one thing that has somehow stuck with me: “The pope has time because he knows what he doesn’t get done, one of his successors will. That is why the Church does nothing in a hurry.” 
I wonder about the business implications of that statement and beyond. Let’s look at taking your time to manage your business or department. I can imagine how the prospects of taking your time will sound very appealing. We live in a fast-paced environment and we have been conditioned to believe if we don’t get it done someone else will eat our lunch. That is true in toxic organizations and for business models without a long-term vision. They are simply “milking the cash-cow” for as long as possible. Squeezing cash out of a segment in itself is a legitimate strategic approach (BCG matrix, anyone?). However, without a long-term strategy the business is a one-trick pony show or in a segment of copy cats riding a wave for as long as possible. Ultimately, it has no outward purpose.

The Management Process is unlimited — Our Time is Not

That brings me back to the fundamentals of how we look at the time we have as founders, CEOs, or managers. By definition, we won’t be able to do it all nor to finish it which should not be the goal anyway if we want to build something sustainable. Our time is limited but the management process never stops. Let’s stop for a moment here and reflect on what this statement makes you think and or feel. If you are like me, you may think how you know this intellectually but you don’t act accordingly. At the end of the day, the way you act is based on your core beliefs and values and that means a statement like this can challenge some of your beliefs or even the notion you have about some beliefs you think you ought to have.
For instance, one core belief and value you may have or think you should have is to always work hard and that this hard work will be rewarded. The way this belief may manifested itself in your working behavior could be that you spend long hours in the office, preferably being the last one to leave, even on a Friday. You may prioritize your career goals at the expense of time with friends and/or family. So far the cliché. What can be a scary exercise is to test whether this value and/or belief is actually true for the organization or the managers you work with. If not, what are the implications? Are your core beliefs wrong? Is your action based on these beliefs perhaps not helping? Or is there a mismatch between your values and the organization’s values? 

Great Beliefs Can Turn into Unhealthy Behavior

What about other less cliché-like beliefs and values? For example, strong beliefs about loyalty can tie you to an organization, one of your managers and your employees far beyond a best sell by date. Or managerial buzzwords can trigger unhealthy behaviors or patterns. I wonder how many aspiring managers mis-read Robert Greenleaf’s ideas about “servant leadership” when the concept was first published in 1970 and took it to levels that were never intended by its author. For example, consider the key tools for a servant-leader including listening, persuasion, access to intuition and foresight, use of language, and pragmatic measurements of outcomes, how many got stuck on serving, listening, etc. Terms such as “serving”, “listening” and “intuition” can easily trigger behaviors in many different suboptimal ways. In themselves, they are important leadership traits. However, they only work with the other bit of the equation, namely the ability to make tough decisions required for good outcomes.
The big temptation for many of us is to believe in our own importance. Not surprisingly, very few people will admit to having a heightened belief in their own importance. But we do and our behavioral patterns betray such as belief such as the desire to be in every meeting. Doubting decisions which were made without you in the room. A need for that corner office. Or simply the idea that you are essential for the department or the entire organization. One of the hardest lessons for our self-worth and self-image is to accept the fact that we are replaceable. Just try naming five decently managed organizations which collapsed because the CEO left. If organizations can survive a CEO succession, they will survive you putting an end to your self-importance.

We Are Unique but still Replaceable

Being replaceable does not negate our uniqueness. It simply means the role we fulfill at our organization can be filled by someone else. You need proof? Think about the last promotion you got and the fact someone else had to step into your shoes. You have already been replaced before. And yes, people may mourn your leaving to a different organization or just moving across the hallway. That will last for about a month, and everyone will have arranged themselves to the new person. 
What are the practical implications of this? Ideally, we can learn to chill. I don’t mean to be flippant about this. What I am trying to say is that there is the potential to feel less burdened. We are free to reflect on our true responsibilities and the ones we took on even though they are crushing us. I am not referring to working less. I am referring to a reasonable pace not weighed down by unmanageable responsibilities and more space to actually think strategically about how to improve things. 

Do the Quality Work

A useful tool to identify how we spend our time – or waster our time – is the Eisenhower matrix.

 
As you can see, the “quality” work happens in the not urgent part. Imagine the opportunities for developing quality output without urgency. 
This is where coaching can support you. Systemic coaching creates an environment for you to explore your own core beliefs and how they shape your behavior in your role in your organization. With your insights, a coach can accompany you on your journey to separate the noise from the essential – in a sense to learn how to work like the pope. Learn to trust in your own decisions. Realize that there is work to be done for your successors and perhaps take a much bigger picture view of the purpose of your organization. And if you really want to work like the pope, you can do the same thought process for life in general.