To Inspire:

Mark and I heard Bret Baier, Fox News anchor and historian, speak last night at the New Albany Lecture Series.

Mr. Baier has written a biography of President Ulysses S. Grant and shared that well over 1 million people lined the streets of New York City for Grant’s funeral procession, an incredible turnout. His research revealed Grant was seen as someone who not only won the war but also secured the peace – working tirelessly to heal our divided nation and bring north and south together while also ensuring that slavery was truly abolished.

Among those who were part of the funeral procession were former presidents and supreme court justices as well as former Union and Confederate generals and soldiers and thousands of African Americans who now were free citizens. Grant was a unifier in what was the greatest division this nation has ever faced.

It has me thinking about the importance of unifiers – men and women that are able to look beyond the immediate conflict or division and find the underlying principles and values that can unite those factions.

Are we unifiers in our families, in our workplaces and in our friendships like Grant? He led with great humility and kept his focus on the great principles of democracy that people could unite on.

What principles and values can you help unite people in your spheres of influence? Rather than striving to win whatever conflict you’re part of, perhaps work harder to win the peace.

Greatness is in all of us – just waiting to emerge in all aspects of our lives, including areas of conflict. Using the virtue of humility, become a uniter and discover the great impact you can have in bringing about greater peace.

Written by Matt Palmer, Partner & Co-founder