Leading with Character: Resilience
I believe in lifelong learning, and love to travel. It’s an enriching combination! Over the years, I’ve found that learning by experience is more powerful and “three dimensional” than learning in a classroom. Travel provides insights into different cultures that broaden my perspective and open my mind. I believe that helps make me a better person and leader, and it can do the same for you, too.
We’re now cruising the Rhine River as part of Modern Woodmen of America’s annual directors conference. What a unique opportunity! I’ve gleaned much knowledge already from our port calls and interactions with our worldly crew and tour guides. I’d like to share a lesson learned from our enlightening excursion to the medieval town of Colmar, France: “When in a circumstance you can’t control learn to adapt, adjust, and most of all, be resilient.” I invite you to live vicariously—jump on the tour bus and explore this concept of resilience with me!
Back and Forth over the Ages
Colmar, situated in the heart of the Alsace region of France, has such a complex history it took our tour guide the entire 30-minute bus ride to give us the wave-top version. The lush, highly prized agricultural region of Alsace has been passed back and forth over the centuries between ruling entities like a football in a Super Bowl game. Colmar was first ruled by Charlemagne, Emperor of the West, during the early 800’s. It then became part of the Holy Roman Empire in about 1226 and was later occupied by Sweden in1632 during the Thirty Years War. Not long after, France annexed Colmar, and the city remained under French rule for a couple hundred years. But then the football game began in earnest—Colmar was twice annexed by Germany from 1871 to 1919, returned to French control after World War I, taken again by Germany during World War II, then finally won back and returned to France toward the end of World War II.
Learning to Adapt and Adjust
Life during those tumultuous times wasn’t easy for the people of Colmar. Each time Germany seized control of the city, it forced the population to choose: move away or stay and become German. Most had no choice but to remain. The Germans forced the residents to change their names and to speak only German, even at home. Our tour guide recounted a tale of two brothers—one who had moved to a region that remained French and one who had remained in Colmar— who then involuntarily fought against each other in World War II. What a tragedy.
As we strolled the quaint and historic city streets of Colmar, I imagined the bakeries, churches, and establishments in the old town area that under former rulers likely served other purposes and people. I thought of the past turmoil and what the residents must have had to endure. And yet they not only endured, they also overcame and eventually prospered. To survive and thrive, they needed to adapt and adjust to new rulers and rules. And like it or not, they needed to be prepared for whatever might come next. They needed to master the power of resilience.
Reflecting on our visit to Colmar led me to contemplate the similarities between the city changing hands between France and Germany and circumstances we face in modern day America. Here at home, governing political parties seesaw back and forth every few years. Supervisors in the workplace might come and go, and the composition of teams may frequently change. All that is nothing compared to the occupations the people of Colmar endured. Yet there are those here in our home country who become upset when their political party isn’t elected. Instead of adapting and adjusting to the results of a legitimate governing process, they instead resist and complain, which can undermine trusted processes and jeopardize our way of life.
Wise Words of Advice to Graduates
It’s graduation season. Young people across America and the world have earned a degree or certificate or learned a trade and are heading out to make their way in an uncertain world. I recently came across a quote from Sam Altman, CEO of the artificial intelligence company, OpenAI, with advice to graduates:
“Get good at using AI tools, and focus on learning skills like adaptability, resilience and figuring out what other people want in a rapidly changing world.”
Sounds a lot like what the people of Colmar learned to do.
We usually can’t control our environment and circumstances, but we can control how we react and respond. Through the lessons learned from the story of Colmar, perhaps we can all become more resilient, and thus more content as individuals, more adaptive in the workplace, and more stable as a nation.
Look in the mirror: As a leader, how can you help your people become more resilient by teaching them to adapt and adjust to changes they can’t control?
Please join me again next time for more on Leading with Character.
If you enjoyed this post, please visit my website where you can buy my book, Breaking Ice & Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters, and sign up for my mailing list: https://sandrastosz.com/book/breaking-ice-and-breaking-glass/
