Leadership Lessons from a Pandemic: The Leadership Tug of War

The first part in a new series on gleaning wisdom about leadership during the COVID-19 crisis.

You probably know how the game “tug of war” goes: two teams stand opposite each other holding a long rope with a ribbon or other marker attached in the center. Both teams pull with all their might until the marker crosses the center line. There are clear winners and losers. It's especially clear (and a lot of fun for the winning team!) when there's a mud bog between the teams, so the winning team pulls the other side into a muddy mess.

Tug of war is a fun game for young people, but it's not the way for leaders to deal with issues like a global pandemic. It seems our nation––even our world––is in a global tug of war with COVID-19. The virus has not waned this winter; in fact, it was more fierce in January in terms of cases and spread. But now with growing numbers receiving the vaccine the momentum seems to be turning in our favor.

We are tugging back on the virus. But we are also pulling each other apart.

On a more personal, local level, pastors and church leaders find themselves in a tug of war not of their own choosing due to this crisis. Pastors have been pulled one way or another because of the divergent views on where we are and how to respond. Read More

Also See:
Leadership Lessons from a Pandemic: The Moment We're In and the Mission We're On
Leadership Lessons from a Pandemic: The Responsive Approach to Strategy