The Power of Adversity and Hope

The Power of Adversity and Hope, #adversity. I have become well aware that I am an aging but hopefully better strategic consultant and advisor for the wear and tear of experience. Adversity in my personal and professional life has been a powerful teacher, perhaps more than success. However, I still prefer the latter! This past year has brought life threatening illnesses into our home and we experienced the devastating loss of a beloved grandson. In my work I encounter dozens of leaders whose lives at home and work have brought unspeakable trauma that they worked through toward primary, inner, greatness. One may never look for adversity, but encountering it is not something to run from. Our cultural world view of self-fulfillment and determination, may tend to disregard the fact that difficult things happen no matter what, to us all. When our inner groundings are shaken through life's challenges we have an opportunity to face who we really are with all of our splendor and demons. The choices we make therein determine our character and other centered leadership. I have often thought of St. Paul as the first organizational psychologist for his writing, "affliction produces endurance, and endurance proven character, and proven character hope, and hope does not disappoint." -D. Ramey