FROM THE COACH: As you celebrate July 4th, consider both independence and interdependence

Here we are, in the week when we, as Americans, celebrate our independence. It is an incredible blessing to enjoy the freedoms granted to us in the U.S. Constitution. They extend the opportunity to use our agency, hopefully in ways that reinforce our commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

My recent studies have focused on the leadership of two great men who fought for independence: George Washington and Nelson Mandela. Both began their journey as armed rebels, Washington against British tyranny and Mandela against apartheid in South Africa. Their desire for independence from despotism was reflected in their behavior. They were defiantly independent individuals, motivated by an intense passion for justice and autonomy.

Each faced adversity that began to transform them. Washington, as commander of the Continental Army, endured eight brutal years of war, the realities of winter and near starvation of his troops at Valley Forge, political infighting from factions that desired to depose him, and near mutiny of many of his soldiers.

Mandela bore his own version of brutality: a 27-year sentence in a South African prison. These harsh experiences began to transform each of them from independent rebels into inner independence, characterized by maturity forged through hardship.

Following each of their journeys through adversity, they became nation-builders. Washington, our first U.S. president, ascended to power but refused to be king. He united Federalists and Anti-Federalists under what was then a fragile Constitution, and at the end of two terms as president, he humbly stepped down. Mandela was elected to lead his deeply divided country. He did so by choosing reconciliation over revenge. He invited participation in his government from former adversaries, gently but firmly rejecting the voices of those who demanded retribution for past offenses.

The road from “independent rebel” to “inner independence” ultimately led both of these great leaders to “interdependence.” Both men turned hardship into moral clarity and strategic patience. They both discovered that authentic leadership is not about overthrowing enemies; it’s about building bridges strong enough to carry a divided people into the future together. They recognized that unity must be built on trust, restraint and a shared vision of what liberty, justice and independence truly mean. Their legacies were cemented not by how they took power, but how they used it — and ultimately relinquished it.

Might there be lessons in the leadership journeys of Washington and Mandela for us today? In July of 2025, we Americans have much to be grateful for as we celebrate our freedoms on Independence Day. However, there is also much ferment, commotion and unrest in our nation at this time. There is certainly room for the voices of independent rebels as protected by the First Amendment. But we must also strive to make room for the inner independence of mature, statesmanlike voices that will temper such rebellion and bring us to a more unified interdependence.

While our national, state and local government leaders should ponder this, I also pose that challenge for each of us in our various leadership roles, including those in our businesses, communities and homes.

Consider these questions:

• Are you leading like a revolutionary, or are you ready to lead like a reconciler?

• Have your past challenges and hardships refined your independence, or have they hardened your resistance to collaboration?

• Who do you need to include, embrace or invite — even if they are (or were once) opposed to you?

• What decisions are you currently making alone that might benefit from shared wisdom?

• Where do you resist collaboration because of “fear of loss” — loss of control, credit or clarity?

• Where do you tend to undervalue the input of others who see the world differently from you?

• What legacy are you creating by the way you choose to lead in moments of conflict?

• How are you inviting even your “opponents” to be part of the solution to critical issues?

• What power could you voluntarily give up that would signal deeper trust in others?

• Where might you need to lead with forgiveness rather than justice?

• Is there a “former enemy” you need to elevate into a partner for the sake of the greater good?

• If your leadership journey were mapped like Washington’s or Mandela’s, where are you now: a revolutionary, a refiner or a reconciler?

In posing these questions, I am not suggesting that you “go along to get along,” but rather that you make room for reasoned dialogue and debate, balancing your commitment to the protection of our individual and collective independence with a respectful interdependence with others.

Happy Independence Day to one and all!

Richard Tyson is the founder, principal owner, and president of CEObuilder, which provides forums for consulting and coaching to executives in small businesses.