Three Questions about Sacrifice

We have sacrificed.

That is a mantra that resonates beneath the surface as we contemplate the return to a kind of “new normal.”

We could not have achieved this milestone without the sacrifices of our frontline healthcare workers, who daily put themselves in danger to treat the sickest among us. Nor would we be closing out this chapter without the contributions of tens of thousands of researchers who worked long hours months to develop the vaccines that provide us with immunity.

Sacrifice, too, came in the form of loss: of jobs, of people, and in some cases, identity. Our pandemic turned our world upside down. No one was left untouched. Now the question is: what next?

Debating our future

Yes, we will debate the future of the workplace: virtual, in-person, or hybrid. But there is a more profound question. What will come of the sacrifices we have all made? If we think we are going back to where we were in January 2020, we are kidding ourselves. We will not be turning back the clock. That clock has shattered into a million pieces.

For perspective, let's turn back to a sermon delivered in 1925 at Westminster Abbey. Fredric Lewis Donaldson, a committed cleric who advocated for workers and would one day become the Archdeacon of Westminster Abbey, described the “Seven Social Sins.” They are:

Wealth without work.

Pleasure without conscience.

Knowledge without character.

Commerce without morality.

Science without humanity.

Worship without sacrifice.

Politics without principle.

Sadly, nearly a century later, we continue to “sin” in each category, and so it's worth considering now at this moment of inflection when the hinge of history creaks how we might make things better.

Questions to consider

What we do next will determine our lives and the lives of those we love, manage and lead. For leaders, that means understanding what we sacrificed and how we will use that lessons to make us stronger and wiser. Here are three questions to ask.

What did I lose? Of all the things lost, what mattered most?

What did I gain? Despite the loss, how did this experience made you stronger?

What will I do differently? Going forward, what will you do differently?

These questions are thought-starters to help you put into context the lessons of this past year-plus. You will consider other questions. Jot down your answers. Share them with your friends and colleagues. Discuss your conclusions and invite debate. Doing so will enable you to frame the experience so that you can understand it better.

Lessons learned

Most importantly, what did you learn about yourself? 

First and foremost, you survived. That may be the greatest lesson of all.  You demonstrated resilience, the ability to bend but not break and even better come out better for it, transformed and ready to meet new opportunities.

In his novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom writes, “Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to.” Now let’s get to work to make real the world we aspire to create through the sacrifices we have made.

First posted on Forbes.com on 5/21/2021

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Read the book that is an affirmation of leadership in the face of calamity, Grace Notes: Leading in an Upside-Down World.

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