Justice Emerges in Institutional Conflict

Attendance at the event we hosted an hour north of us was about half of what we had locally. Considering it was just two weeks after our local event, in an area where we had few existing relationships, and considering all the nonsense with the institution (whose campus was just a few miles away from where we hosted this event), most everyone involved viewed it as a success. Financially, it was close to break-even but I don’t know many people who are willing to put in all the time and effort we did to just break even. All that said, we did indeed identify several seeds to equal and greater benefits - it just took a while for us to recognize a few of them.

The two leadership attributes that resonated with me from the beginning of the adversities we battled in hosting that event were the willingness to accept full responsibility and having a keen sense of justice. From the moment we read the non-compete clause, we took complete responsibility for the entire event. We had no other option. Attempting to shift responsibility anywhere else would have not only cost us financially, it would have impacted existing relationships as well as the ones we were working to build. I’ll circle right back to those relationships…

We’ll dig into some of the costs and why they were absolutely worth it next. The relationships we strengthened through pushing forward, though, have served us ever since. Our interaction with Dr. Rob Walker had been solid leading up to him emceeing each of our 2017 events, but the close interaction we had with him through each of those took things to a new level. Prior to that, even through the work we did for his team’s annual leadership conference in late 2016, our direct interaction had been with key members of his team. The opportunity to strengthen our relationship with him through these events couldn’t have been more timely. As we wrapped up that second event, he pulled us aside to request a proposal for his team’s next event - and we’ve worked closely with that group ever since.

One other seed we pulled from that experience, one that we’re still nurturing years later, was a realization that the work involved in hosting any kind of event increases, often exponentially, the farther it is away from you. Mastery of Detail is indeed a necessary attribute for hosting a successful event, and those details are tough to administer from a distance. And regardless of the circumstances, it’s a leader’s responsibility to do right by everyone they serve amid any kind of fallout. We’ll work through that in more detail next. Before that, though, apply these thoughts on justice and responsibility to a conflict you’ve experienced. What seed of greater integrity might (still) be hidden? What’s one action you can take to nurture that seed?

Supporting What’s Right Amid Fallout

Had we signed the contract to partner with that institution in hosting our 2017 event, I have no doubt that attendance (and revenue) would have been significantly higher - that day. Living through each adversity prior to that provided a tremendous foundation for us to stand on in that moment, though. Years of scarcity, being ostracized by many who we viewed as close friends, and taking several significant career leaps taught us that no single instance, regardless of the immediate financial opportunity or potential for loss, is worth making a compromise on our core values. As tough as each of those had been individually, they provided us with the strength we needed to stand firm when our choice was to buckle or to do what was viewed as taking on an established entity.

Just so you have a bit more perspective on how outlandish the terms of that contract was, signing it would have prohibited me from working with the company I was employed by at the time for the next twelve months since that organization had already agreed to partner with us on the event. Again, the folks in charge made it abundantly clear that there was no wiggle room in the language. For that company, and any other company or individual we brought to the table, we never took the responsibility of providing best-in-class service lightly. Turning those clients over to another entity where we had no hand in the level of service they would receive just wasn’t something we could do, even before considering the financial ramifications of sacrificing just a portion of our existing client base as we started our business.

Still yet, this was - at least at face value - a David versus Goliath situation: Wes and Cindy Dove in their fledgling business going against a long-standing, state-funded institution. Face value be damned, we chose to support what was right and let the chips fall where they may. Advocacy without title, reputation, or financial backing tests cooperation and courage; assuming full responsibility for outcomes clarifies values and builds quiet strength.

This wasn’t a loud confrontation for the entire world to see, but it definitely forced us to fight for the values we held most dear. And while some of our fight was based on protecting the client base we had been working so hard to establish, we were even more focused on sticking to our principles and ensuring that each of those clients received tremendous value for the trust and investment they made in their time with us.

As we move forward, I’ll press you to search through scenarios you’ve faced where someone has pushed you to compromise on your core values. Before that, though, think about a current (or recent) pattern of institutional friction you’ve had to deal with. What’s one clear, values-based first step you need to take to identify and begin actively nurturing the seed that could lead to your equal or greater benefit?

No Compromise on Core Values

I received a call one evening a few years back from a friend named Rick, just a day or so after he watched me turn red-faced but choose to walk away from a situation rather than throwing someone out of a second story window. Early in that conversation, Rick said “I’ll bet you’re the kind of guy who would sacrifice $5,000 over $50 of principle.” I assured him that not only did that shoe fit, I had worn it time and time again in the decade leading up to that moment. We hadn’t known one another long then but that phone call was genuinely foundational to the friendship he and I have today. As one of my former bosses said, “You’ll build a thousand bridges before you’re ever known as a bridge builder, but (expletive) just one donkey and you’ll forever be known as a donkey (expletive)-er!” Money can be made in so many ways but dropping our standard on the principles - or core values - we live by comes with a cost we may never recover from.

Years ago, I heard someone say something along the lines of, “How someone does one thing is usually how they do everything.” (I believe it may have been Mark Cole, CEO of Maxwell Leadership.) I’ve found that to be incredibly accurate. If that Goliath was willing to attempt to pull a fast one on me and Cindy, I have no doubt that they would do similar things to anyone else - and I know now that they have. By that time, we had stood on our principles for nearly twenty years - and through some excruciating situations. Although we didn’t have them listed as such at the time, we saw no room whatsoever for compromising on our core values. Making the decision to stand firm was difficult, in the moment and through the months that followed, but we’ve never regretted it for a second. Definiteness of decision in battles requires burning ships on compromise; these moments forge unshakable values alignment - every single time.

As with every adversity we faced leading up to that and since, this one held seeds to far greater benefits. I’ll share about the cooperation that came from other partners in this process and the courage we gained through that next. Before I do that, I want you to pinpoint one area where you may need to take a principled stand. What’s the first step you need to take within the next week?