The Strength to Understand

By: Jonathan Briscoe

Yesterday, the Fed made headlines for cutting rates by .25%. On the surface, that may just sound like another line on a banker’s chart, another adjustment in the long list of economic levers. To me, this one was different. It happened because Chairman Powell and President Trump, two men who don’t exactly share the same page of the playbook were able to find common ground. That’s not a small thing. That’s a reminder. Compromise is hard. Listening is harder. Understanding someone you’ve opposed is hardest of all. That’s the soil progress grows out of. Whether it’s monetary policy, boardroom debates, or kitchen table arguments at home, nothing good comes from operating out of hate. Companies can’t thrive on division. Families can’t heal through bitterness. Communities can’t grow when everyone’s busy tearing each other down. The Fed’s move wasn’t just about interest rates, it was about showing what happens when people put pride aside long enough to listen. When you stop shouting over one another, you start hearing. And when you start hearing, you start understanding. That’s when solutions show up. That’s when growth begins.

We too often make the mistake of believing leadership is about being right or winning the decision. Leadership, whether it’s in business, government, or family is more about finding ways forward when no one gets everything they want. The best companies I’ve seen were not built on perfect alignment, but on healthy disagreements handled with respect. The strongest relationships aren’t without conflict, but where both sides choose love over hate and grace over pride. The world doesn’t need more winners and losers; it needs more people willing to sit at the same table. Division has never built anything lasting. Every strong nation, every thriving business, every healthy family has been carried forward by the courage to work through differences. True progress is about choosing unity over ego and building something bigger than ourselves. I’d encourage all of you as you head into the rest of this year to lead with clarity, respect, and yes, even love, because decisions made with those values stand the test of time. If Powell and Trump can find a sliver of compromise, maybe we can too.