The New Pope Was Selected Faster Than Most Radio Organizations Hire New CEOs

A truly remarkable thing occurred last week in Vatican City. No, I’m not referring to the fact that for the first time in more than 2,000 years of hiring new Popes, we how have an American leading the world’s 1 billion+ Catholics.

Although, it is a truly amazing set of circumstances the Council of Cardinals broke precedent and selected Robert Prevost, a Chicagoan by birth, but truly a man of the world.

Social media had fun fact-finding about the new Pope, from now on known as Leo XIV. It turns out, he’s a Chicago White Sox fan (rather than a rooter for the more popular Cubs), he’s a regular Wordle player, and he’s a Villanova grad.

It is believed that Leo XIV is also an acolyte of “Da Bears,” and of course, that has implications among the millions of NFL fans debating his loyalties and what they may mean for the upcoming season in the NFC North:

So while there’s been much tongue-wagging about the new pope, who he is, what he’ll espouse, and of course, what he’ll do, a truly remarkable aspect of his selection was its sheer speed.

The entire process—known as Conclave—a meeting comprised of 133 Cardinals from all over the globe, many of whom have never met, was just two days. They come together at the Sistine Chapel when the former Pope steps down or passes to select the new leader of the Catholic Church and they get right down to business.

In the last 90 or so years, no conclave has lasted longer than a week. The average is 3-4 days, and for the two prior conclaves—in 2005 and 2013, those conclaves had their business wrapped up in just two days.

And the public knows precisely how the secretive process is playing out, perhaps not the detail, but the outcome. After every round of voting, a puff of smoke furls out above the Vatican. If it’s black, it means a two-thirds majority of the Cardinals at conclave could not coalesce around one candidate.

But if it’s white smoke, it sends out the message, “We got our guy!” and that conclave is over.

Many of us in radio got to watch this remarkable process play out through the knowing eyes and expert camera lens of Alan Markesich. (Perhaps you know him as Cadillac Jack, formerly of Z100 and for the last many years as Beasley Boston’s VP, Strategy and Analytics). I loved witnessing this momentous occasion vicariously through his own personal and spiritual POV.

Once the actual date of conclave was announced after the death of Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, Alan knew exactly what he needed to do. He snagged press credentials and a flight to Rome, ensuring he’d be on hand at the Vatican to witness this historic moment:

For Cadillac and the tens of thousands of tourists and spectators, it was an amazing, electric, but also solemn moment. Alan managed to capture the emotions of the crowds anxiously gathered on St. Peter’s Square. You can follow his Facebook stories and photos here.

The speed at which this conclave moved is remarkable, given all the givens—the pressure, the jet lag, the language barriers, the thousands gathered on St. Peter’s Square nervously but hopeful, awaiting the decision, and the import and weight of the moment and its spiritual and global impact.

And yet, somehow they get it done in just two days. While so many organizations—like in broadcast radio, for example—typically spend weeks and often months selecting a new leader, the nearly two centuries old Catholic Church generally wraps it in up in 2-3 days.

The selection process in public radio, by comparison, is absolutely glacial. Especially for the biggest institutions like NPR, picking the new boss often starts with a search firm, an internal committee, a vetting process, numerous rounds of interviews, reference checks, in-person interviews, and written exercises of various types.

And from beginning to the conclusion of a new hire (after salaries, terms, and start dates are ironed out and agreed upon), months have passed. I know of a couple CEO positions in public radio where the process has painfully lasted for more than a year.

Most of the time, this elongated selection process is erosive to the organization. Plans are put on hold while the rumors fly. Meantime, things just don’t get done when everyone’s waiting for new leadership to be named and then the actual period it all starts.

And does the long selection process even work? Do the intricacies and methodical nature of picking a new leader translate to better and more successful hires in the long run? Subjectively, I don’t think so.

In fact, many selections in radio broadcasting do not turn out especially well despite the apparent time, care, and expense the process required.

Maybe this year’s selection speed was aided by having a brilliant training film, the aforementioned Conclave. It was a huge box office success as well as being critically acclaimed—not an easy achievement for any movie. It depicted a somewhat longer process—three days with typical Hollywood drama.

And as it turns out, many of the Cardinals at last week’s conclave watched the movie ahead of their voting session, including Robert Prevost. According to Euronews (via Politico), an unnamed priest agreed the film was “remarkably accurate,” especially for the newer Cardinals appointed by Pope Francis who had not experienced this tradition of selecting a new leader.

When you think about this process, it is remarkably effective particularly in light of the way leadership is chosen in the business world. Here are some of the learnings from conclave:

1. The Cardinals meet the moment – However the former Pope departs this earth, they must be ready to drop everything and make the trek to Rome. There is a realization this is one of their most important duties and they are at the ready.
2. The choice of a new Pope is intentional – There is a sense for what the church—and the world—needs now. You get that sense in the selection of the new Pontiff, Leo XIV. Every papacy is different, of course, but given the state of the world, the choice of an American was a stunner.
3. They are always working ahead – While many organizations pay little mind to succession, the Catholic Church seems to have a plan in mind. There’s a realization a change can happen at any time, and they must be prepared for the eventuality. Too bad more media organizations don’t think this way.
4. There’s a transparency to this process – No, outsiders don’t know what is transpiring “in the room where it happens.” In fact, secrecy is at the center of the powerful choice at hand. But those Vatican “smoke signals” tell us a great deal about the progress of selecting a new Pope.  They keep their parishioners in the loop.
5. There’s also a great deal of drama – While this might not be part of conclave’s grand design, it captures the world’s attention in ways no other event can. As the film and the actual event last week proved, a centuries old tradition can capture the zeitgeist better than any social media platform, sporting event, or cultural event can.
6. They’re not afraid of risk-taking – In any situation where a new leader is selected, there are always “dark horse” candidates. Conclave results over the years indicate the Cardinals are well aware of what’s at stake, and they’re willing to make difficult or even controversial choices.
7. There is a pageantry to the process – The robe colors and other traditions are on display, lending gravity to this event. Tradition matters, adding to the solemnity of the moment.
8. The new guy starts the next morning – So much for the new leader starting in a few weeks once he takes care of obligations. The Pope is accountable to the Church and to God— period.  It is important he begins his new duties the next day as Leo XIV did.

As we learned last week, conclave is an amazing event, full of wisdom, import, and tradition. Leadership matters, and the Vatican showed us how it’s done.