When Zoom Isn't Enough: Leaders go to the People

I am not a front-line worker. I am not a physician or a nurse. I don’t drive an ambulance. But in the earliest weeks of the lockdown, I got on an airplane to travel 3,000 miles from Florida to Oregon to perform what I consider essential work. And I’ve flown over 170,000 miles since. You see, I am a servant leader.

Like many of you, before March of 2020 I usually checked my LinkedIn feed in an airport, a hotel, or an Uber. I counsel churches, schools, and non-profit organizations across the country on how to build their organizations and best serve those in need. 150,000 miles is a slow year for me!

One of my partners is Canyonville Academy, an international boarding school in Canyonville, Oregon, currently home to about seventy-five students from sixteen countries. And, when Oregon was one of the first states to declare a statewide lockdown, these students, most of them on scholarship, were stranded. These students could not leave the U.S.—or if they did, they would not be allowed back in.

In March I sat with my wife and children. And as a family, we decided that I should resume travel to best serve the Canyonville students and support the educators who were providing them a home away from home. Conducting business through Zoom and FaceTime is a fact of life right now. But it simply doesn’t take the place of showing up, sitting down, and figuring it out. Especially when it comes to kids.

I have the utmost respect for the CDC’s guidelines. I took all necessary health and safety precautions when flying, renting a car, and staying at a hotel—and I still do. Over the months I chose my travel partners wisely, like Delta, whose safety protocols I found unparalleled. On every trip I thanked the airline attendants, front-desk receptionists, and maintenance teams for keeping travelers more secure than ever.

I am that rare American who has seen the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in many states: Georgia, Oregon, Ohio, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Michigan, Utah, Idaho, Washington. I met with Pastor Troy Gramling of Potential Church outside Miami, where services were not permitted on Sundays, though its parking lot was still jammed with cars—in line for food donations. I celebrated my friend Dr. Bartholomew Orr’s first book, ORRdinary Lessons, in Mississippi not with a launch party but a drive-through book signing—which lasted three hours. I helped Pastor Barri Evans of Orchard Church in Midland, Texas, position his church for further expansion and land acquisition. In the great city of Houston, Pastor Paul Strong, Lead Pastor at Legacy Church, and I produced online leadership training courses, raised money for their ever-growing Bread of Life Food Pantry, and facilitated church renovations. In Orlando, I toured the location of Greenway Church’s second campus, a multi-million-dollar venture, with Lead Pastor Dr. Wade Mumm. When community leaders were retreating, Wade was stepping forward. In every city, my partners and I prayed for the actual front-line workers keeping us safe in these efforts.

Canyonville Academy was able to ensure that its international students were safe, educated, and graduated this year. To date they have not had one Covid-19 case. Over the months I have continued to visit, in the securest way possible, and support their efforts with an “extra-mile attitude.”

Growing up, I remember that my parents did not wait to serve until it was convenient, affordable, or safe to do so. When the call for help came, they went. This is not the first crisis to hit this country, and it will not be the last. Of course we will do what we must to support this “new normal” business environment. But I assure you, nothing will ever replace the power of a grasped hand, pat on the back, or a look into the eyes of a person in need.