Since the inception of Catholic schools within the United States, Catholic educational leaders have faced significant challenges yielding real threats to the long-term viability of the institution. Repeatedly, Catholic school leaders have had to pivot in response to challenges and adapt their behaviors and leadership style to avoid significant losses or even closure. The most significant disruption to "normal operations" in recent history was the COVID-19 pandemic which caused numerous challenges to Catholic school leaders. This research is in response to the pandemic which necessitated leadership adaptation to ensure survival and viability of Catholic schools. Leaders who adapted their behaviors to align with the needs of the circumstances yielded viability for their institutions while those who didn't saw significant challenges or closure. To better understand how and why leaders adapted, and what their adaptation yielded for their institutions, the research team studied the adaptive leadership behaviors taken by 7 Catholic school leaders in Texas who successfully navigated the pandemic. To inform the research, the doctoral team developed questions adapted from the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools (NSBECS). The research data suggests that there are five significant characteristics of adaptive leadership with the most important element being the ability to demonstrate awareness of emotional intelligence and work as a people leader. Leaders who engaged in best practices, followed sound strategies for survival, and worked hard to ensure their communities survived did indeed endure the heart of the pandemic. The call to lead in a Catholic school is not a call to managerial excellence, rather it comes from having a servant's heart, authentically caring for others, and utilizing that predilection for servant leadership in all one does, and in all who one is. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]