Courageous Democracy
What is Courageous Democracy?
Like you, we—a group of organizational leaders, psychologists, conflict transformers and consultants—are concerned about divisiveness and rancor in all areas of our society. In 2015, we took stock of what we had learned from more than a decade sharing our Courageous Leadership programs with corporate, nonprofit, and foundation clients. We knew that our programs helped people (re)build trust and a shared sense of purpose in organizations. We then collaborated with people and groups successfully reaching across differences in communities to help us learn and strategize the unique contributions that we and our clients could make to civic engagement efforts.
Our clients walk away more confident in their abilities to engage across difference, capable of connecting on shared values, and committed to working together on shared goals.
“The program taught me to be open to many interpretations of situations. It had me not assume and [instead] see how many unique perspectives there are.”
We launched Courageous Democracy in 2016, providing evidence-based tools for bridging political and social divides, and creating a more caring, innovative, and sustainable democracy. This program had the added benefit of improving the internal cultures amongst our clients: with increases in employee well-being, collaboration, and impact.
“I felt more empowered after the workshop to embrace courageous conversations.”
A terrific group of partners (including a large New York foundation, Junior State of America, Village Square, Salesforce and Rotary International) helped refine, test, and hone the Courageous Democracy program. Our evaluation partners at Jonathan Haidt’s Civil Politics reported that Courageous Democracy programs delivered some of the greatest positive impact they have seen amongst similar efforts, and the greatest impact in terms of bridging divides.
“{I loved learning] how we function under threat and how we can have meaningful responses---breaking down all the neuroscience to easy steps to follow and teach others.”
What We Accomplished?
In 2018, we completed the first Courageous Democracy program with 500 high school students from the Junior State of America. The results surpassed our expectations:
88% of students were much more likely to engage in “courageous conversations” (open-hearted and open-minded) across difference.
Increased positive views about people in different political parties, and in their motivation to work together on societal challenges
Read more in These Kids are Learning to Have Bipartisan Conversations and The United States of Anxiety.
Watch our CEO, Brooke Deterline share some hopeful news and evidence-based tools we can all use to help tip the scales in the direction of a sustainable, peaceful democracy at TEDxSonomaCounty.
“I learned I can choose courage in any moment!”
Meanwhile, we partnered with Rotary International for more than two years, conducting community trainings with 500 Rotarians in rural and urban California, with equally positive outcomes and feedback. Read more in Courageously Promoting Peace.
“Outstanding and engaging program; strong evidence base. Want to do more.”
The Courageous Democracy work with corporations has been in some ways the most exciting. In one large technology company, 100% of participants said they would engage in “Courageous Conversations” (open-hearted and open-minded) conversations with people holding different views.
“As a team, I think we have struggled at times with these kinds of conversations. The ones we’ve had since this training have been good to paradigm-shifting.”
Good News & Great News
The ability of the people to act together with open hearts and minds in the face of fear or discomfort is essential for a sustainable democracy. Courageous Democracy is built on learned skills, built through practice with social support, and honed through collaborative work toward shared goals. We teach these skills, with data-backed results!
“I am grateful to have been told and reinforced that it is OK to have difficult conversations, and that my physical reactions are normal…and the tools provided to help rewire the auto-reactions. I love this and want to learn more.”
The Good News: You and your organization can help build a more Courageous Democracy right where you are, with the people and groups around you. No need to wait for a huge effort organized by people from elsewhere; you can do this, and we can help.
“Not being defensive or feeling like I have to ‘win’ the argument. Maybe it's not even an argument….”
The Great News: More In Common (and other public opinion research) found that a majority of Americans believe we can (re)learn how to work together, despite our differences. 72% of Americans—across all demographic, geographic, and political groupings—agree that we have a responsibility to connect with people who are different from ourselves. What is often missing: the skills and opportunities to meaningfully and productively connect; exactly what we can team with you to offer. One more piece of good news: the more people believe others are connecting across differences, the more willing they are to do the same. So, you will inspire not only your people, you'll be setting the pace for folks across the nation.
"I've already found many opportunities to apply things that I learned. Just today, [I]…spoke to a group about weighing probabilities of our automatic negative thoughts being true, and alignment with our ultimate goals and values.”
Even Greater News: We all have the capacity to help tip the scales toward a sustainable, healthy democracy. And we don’t need permission or action from any politician, lobbyist, or party. Even so, don’t go it alone. Democracy is a participatory sport, so get support. Join one of the many organizations doing bridging and democracy-building, including ours. And then, share the good news.
Our Invitation to You
We feel—and hope you share—a particular urgency to support and scale up these efforts. We are determined to help create a more inclusive and responsive democracy that includes all respectful and responsible points of view. With a proven program and outstanding outcomes, we’re expanding our capacity to partner with people and organizations, that share our concerns, and our belief in a better way, like you and yours. In the corporate, civic, community, or philanthropic sectors, we're expanding the reach of Courageous Democracy, and generating meaningful impact. This program is administered for social good, and funded by individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations.
Our Evidence-Based Programs
All Courageous Leadership programs are built on social science. Over a decade working with partners, colleagues, and advisors, (including Phil Zimbardo, Lynne Henderson, Paul Gilbert, Kim Cameron), we have created highly interactive programs to help leaders and teams. We help people recognize invisible systemic influences and subtle social cues, manage internal reactions under stress, and override unhelpful human reactions (e.g., dehumanizing, avoiding, and lashing out). We train people to act and collaborate with compassion, ethical courage, and ingenuity.
“Yes, it was helpful at work and in political conversations, but the best part was it’s been great with my wife! Learning to really listen has changed my marriage.”
Our programs and evidence-based tools have been used with clients like Google, MIT Sloan, GE, the Omidyar Group, Microsoft, Pfizer, Kaiser Permanente, the Hewlett Foundation, Columbia Medical Center, the Australian Government, Post Carbon Institute, American Leadership Forum, and others.
"Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world at once, but of stretching out to mend the part that is within our reach. "
—Clarissa Pinkola Estes
