3 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Frederick Douglass About Leading in Challenging Times

This Black History Month, we tin study a batch astir really to move done challenging times by looking backmost astatine leaders who person knowledgeable their adjacent stock of challenges, too. It takes bravery, stamina, courage and a imagination to move done acheronian eras and look victorious. As a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultant, I walk astir of my days helping companies large and mini navigate challenges, and I often look to Black leaders for illustration Frederick Douglass arsenic examples of what resiliency looks like.

Here are 3 lessons that each entrepreneurs tin study erstwhile navigating trying situations successful their master and individual lives.

Choose the way of self-development

In challenging times, sometimes our champion coach is ourselves. And nary 1 knows that amended than Frederick Douglass. Despite being calved into slavery, Frederick Douglass knew his summons to state was done education. At the property of 6, Douglass moved to the Wye House plantation, wherever he was looked aft by Lucretia Auld, the woman of a precocious deceased enslaved overseer. Later, she sent him to service her family members, Hugh and Sophia Auld, successful Baltimore. When Douglass was astir 12 years old, Sophia Auld began school him the alphabet. However, her hubby Hugh powerfully disapproved arsenic he felt that literacy encouraged enslaved group to activity freedom.

In secret, Douglass would thatch himself to publication and constitute and erstwhile said, "Knowledge is the pathway from slavery to freedom." Douglass taught himself really to spell from Webster's pronunciation books and began to publication and constitute pinch inspiration from posters connected cellar and barn doors. In his later years, he went connected to constitute 3 bestselling biographies: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an enslaved American (1845), My Bondage and My Freedom (1855) and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881).

The instruction is this: When it's clip to germinate and change, take the difficult way of self-development for semipermanent maturation and success. Whether it's getting an executive coach erstwhile you're emotion stuck, honing your fundraising skills, aliases implementing a caller DEI program that stakeholders are skeptical about, do the difficult point that you cognize will salary disconnected later.

Related: The 3 C's That Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Can Teach Us Today To Advance Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Do and opportunity what's correct — moreover if nary one's listening

Douglass was known worldwide arsenic a vocal abolitionist. He spent 2 years successful Ireland and Great Britain, delivering lectures connected the request to destruct slavery successful the United States. Sympathetic Europeans donated money to bargain his state from the Auld family. When he returned to the U.S. successful 1847, he started the first abolitionist newspaper, the North Star, wherever he advocated the abolition of slavery successful writing.

Here's the lesson: Say and do what you cognize is right. In business, we often travel our competitors, transcript what they do, iterate connected it, and effort to outdo them. But immoderate of the champion entrepreneurs I cognize floor plan their ain paths, often swimming upstream, innovating on the way, and doing thing that nary 1 has ever done. In challenging times, these whitethorn consciousness for illustration risky moves to make. But, these entrepreneurs attraction connected their imagination for the early and do what they deliberation is right, moreover if others aren't bought in.

Related: From Faith to Politics: How to Navigate Difficult Conversations successful the Workplace

If you're emotion alone, build coalitions

When you're stuck successful a challenging business — whether fighting to support your business afloat aliases navigating an uncertain marketplace — you tin upwind the large wind by building coalitions and partnerships pinch those astir you. Frederick Douglass did precisely that but pinch the women's suffrage movement.

In 1848, Douglass was the only Black personification successful the room arsenic he attended the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women's authorities normal successful New York. When others couldn't spot the relationship betwixt women's suffrage and abolition, Douglass said firmly successful favour of a woman's correct to ballot and equated the authorities of Black men pinch the plight of women to vote. He often said that the world would beryllium a amended spot if women had the correct and powerfulness to participate successful politics. For this era, this benignant of business was revolutionary. Douglass wouldn't beryllium live to spot the 19th Amendment passed, but his allyship and defense for civilian authorities and liberty for each will ne'er beryllium forgotten.

The instruction is this: Build partnerships. No 1 successful business tin past alone. If you haven't built arsenic galore partnerships, alliances, and relationships arsenic you'd like, now's the time. Douglass understood that by leaning connected a organization of group who shared akin values and goals, he could elevate his origin and create corporate growth. When times get difficult successful business, it's the spot of your partnerships that will spot you through.

Related: It's Black History Month. Here's How to Show Black Employees You Care.

Final thoughts

Sometimes, it's adjuvant to look backmost successful bid to move forward. Looking to leaders for illustration Frederick Douglass is not only an inspirational prime but a smart one. He was a man who struggled to navigate life successful the era of slavery and roseate to the juncture to thatch himself really to read, write, speak, and yet go a vocal advocator for state and liberation. You can't thief but consciousness that Douglass would beryllium personification you'd scope retired to successful request of proposal if he were still alive. He's 1 of galore figures successful Black history who tin supply america pinch a guiding ray successful times of uncertainty and turmoil and tin beryllium a exemplary for moving done challenges pinch fortitude, confidence, and hope.