Two weeks ago I learned that Catherine Rohr, the founder and CEO of Prison Entrepreneurship Program, resigned from her position. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice banned Rohr from entering prisons after it had learned that she had inappropriate relationships with former inmates. Rohr confessed to inappropriately close relationships with PEP graduates following her divorce in December 2008.
I remember first hearing Rohr’s inspiring story in 2007; I loved hearing about her commitment to the organization, the work she was doing and the leadership principles she implemented. Now, in light of what she’s done, I’m not angry, just saddened by the brokenness of humanity that continues to wreak havoc, in personal lives and organizations. I certainly hope Rohr will continue to grow and that new opportunities will come her way but there will always be some amount of remorse over what could have been.
Mixed in with my sadness, though, is also a tinge of fear. Catherine Rohr didn’t begin PEP with the intention of resigning after a few years because of some indiscretions. No leader ever begins any venture with the intention of failing due to moral failure, yet so many leaders seem to end up in that place. I’m scared that someday I’ll have an affair or do something else and ruin any amount of leadership capital I’ve earned during my life. I don’t know if that kind of fear is healthy or not. I don’t live my life fixated on that terrible possibility, but I also don’t live my life and pretend that something like that could never happen to me.
What do you think? Is it healthy to fear the possibility of a moral failure?
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To be afraid keeps you alert. Takes MANY YEARS to build a good reputación and hard work. Being afraid of WHAT happens to other people, keeps us thinking that if Im NOT careful it COULd happen to me. To be afraid keeps us Being humans. God gave us this kind of emotions as a shield. Its healthy to use Them.
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