Cooperation and Courage Honed Through Adversity

A few times to this point, I’ve referenced our 2017 experience in hosting that event an hour away as a “battle.” While it certainly seemed like one at the time, it was really just another adversity we had to work through - and a relatively minor one at that. It was by no means the most significant issue Cindy and I had ever faced, but it was the first of its kind that we encountered in our business. It also came at a time where we were doing all we could to ensure that business was capable of keeping our lights on. We had indeed assumed full responsibility and we were dialed in on the keen sense of justice we had held so dear in many other situations; this was just the first time we held complete financial responsibility for how things shook out.

Looking back, as tough and as frustrating as it was then, I can see just how insignificant it was in the grand scheme of all that’s unfolded since. We had between five and ten thousand dollars in overhead for that event, not counting our own time or travel costs leading up to it. Having now hosted multiple events in the six-figure range, the adversities back then seem so small. But without experiencing it exactly when we did, just as we were stepping out on our own for the very first time, I’m not sure we would have developed the same kind of courage, learned to develop the same level of definiteness in our decisions, or seen the same type of genuine cooperation we saw over the course of those few months - with one another and through the partnerships we developed in that process.

What felt like a battle (but was really just a kind of adversity we hadn’t experienced to that point) reinforced that true leadership isn’t tied to institutional approval or contracts but to courageous, values-aligned advocacy. Quiet reliability and principled stands amid conflict strengthened partnerships (with Cindy, clients, and networks), earned respect outside formal systems, and proved influence compounds when we model integrity without positional power. This particular institutional adversity helped us forge the exact traits we would need to provide values-driven leadership to each organization we would interact with moving forward - and we’ve benefited from that ever since. 

Conflict becomes a competitive advantage in trust and influence if we identify, nurture, and develop every seed we can identify in that conflict. If we neglect those steps, it’s just conflict… Adversity’s seed grows strongest when we choose justice over comfort and assume full responsibility—turning institutional battles (even if they’re really only minor adversities) into preparation for values-based leadership and greater relational influence. Next, we’ll look at how the influence we build through a situation like this carries far beyond any one institution involved. Now, though, think about a recent institutional decision you’ve worked through. Where did cooperation lag? What can you do over the next month to strengthen your position so you’re better prepared for similar adversities moving forward?