Stronger Through Adversity Spotlight on David Hudson

Thanks to all of you who purchased Stronger Through Adversity and for supporting its amazing launch last week! Nothing like marketing a book about the pandemic in the middle of Christmas week during this pandemic-altered holiday season.

Throughout December, I’ve been sharing a few excerpts from Stronger Through Adversity to provide stories and lessons on resilience and hope.

I had lots of stories to choose from, thanks to the wisdom shared by over 140 leaders like the CEOs and Presidents of Target, Verizon, Microsoft, Marriott, and Mercedes-Benz. Today I’ll excerpt a section which features David Hudson, Commissioner and National Commander of The Salvation Army.

In Stronger Through Adversity, I write:

David noted, “The most compassionate thing we can do as leaders is to offer hope. In times like these, hope can be hard to come by, so I help people on the front line see how we are making a difference—so they will continue to help us create a better tomorrow. Some time ago, I read that a man can live about 40 days without food. He can live about three days without water and about eight minutes without air. But he can’t live one second without hope. I suspect that is an over simplification, but hope is an intangible that leaders must be able to convey. Our teams and our communities at large look to leaders who can offer a realistic sense of hope. We’ve provided emotional and spiritual care to more than 780,000 people since the start of this pandemic. Some people reached out just because they needed someone to talk to and to help them see a possibility where tomorrow could be better than today. I am working to be a compassionate beacon of hope to our front line, my team, and all I serve.”

I am struck by how David frames hope for his team. He offers it as an act of compassion anchored to the impact they had today. For him, hope is the possibility that the next moment, hour, or year can be better through collective faith and effort. Maybe that is why Napoleon Bonaparte said, “A leader is a dealer in hope.”

That’s this week’s excerpt. I strive to be a dealer in hope. How about you?

If you would like to learn more about the book Stronger Through Adversity, please visit strongerthroughadversity.com or buy it now wherever you get your books. Also, I’d be honored if you’d join me for my live interview series on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. Eastern and simulcast on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

Until next time, may you be safe and filled with hope!

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Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D. is a professional speaker and chief experience officer at The Michelli Experience. A New York Times #1 bestselling author, Dr. Michelli and his team consult with some of the world’s best customer experience companies.

Follow on Twitter: @josephmichelli

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