Andy Crouch & Dave Blanchard: Designing for a Different Future

As our societies move from the “blizzard” of initial COVID lockdowns into the “winter” of ambiguity and change, how can leaders respond with true hope rather than empty optimism or false certainty? 

Everyone's natural response to the initial threat of the pandemic included retreating to places of Control and/or Withdrawal. Mary Elizabeth, Dave, and Andy discuss the importance of grounding practices—such as the Praxis Rule of Life—to draw us out of these unhelpful postures. They discuss the danger of “normalcy snapback,” and the opportunities afforded by once-in-a-generation shifts in the Overton Window (where ideas move from unthinkable to reasonable).

Finally, Andy and Dave consider two radically different ways that leaders can face an uncertain future: the tempting but false promises of prediction vs. the true promises we make to others.