A giant has fallen

Written By Christopher Williams

When I heard about the passing of Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) a few hours ago, I was saddened, and my mind was immediately pulled in a few directions.

I remember driving my family from Erlangen, Germany to the Vatican eight Easters ago and witnessing first-hand the adulation and impact of his Holiness on the faithful from around the world.

I was drawn to a book on my shelf, Lead with Humility - 12 Leadership Lessons from Pope Francis by Jeffrey Krames, a beautiful description of the pope's leadership style that I have consulted often.

I feel that there was something stirring about the timing of his death at another Easter and at a time when the notions of Leadership and Service are often misconstrued, corrupted and misappropriated by those who have few credible claims to them.

In my view, Pope Francis embodied a Humility and Courage that history will reflect on and celebrate, with a clarity that the babble of the present day obfuscates.

A giant has fallen, and indeed left a legacy that will never die.

May Pope Francis (17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) Rest in Peace.

Christopher Williams

Christopher O.H. Williams is a strategic leader with over 20 years of experience in transformations and turnarounds, consumer brand development, market expansion and marketplace creation. He has held significant executive leadership positions in Strategy, Innovation, and Go-to-Market, and been at the forefront of major enterprise change initiatives within the world’s most influential lifestyle, sports, and retail companies, including Nike, adidas, VF Corporation and Gap.

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