Which of your relationships make you feel like your truest self?
Anchor Relationships® are the connections that keep you grounded in your authentic self—especially when external pressures push you to compromise your values.
Anchor Relationships®
Unlike other professional relationships focused on career advancement or emotional comfort, Anchor Relationships provide the courage and clarity needed to make values-based decisions in challenging situations. This identity-based courage emerges when trusted relationships affirm our capacity to act according to deeply held values, creating the relational context that makes authentic moral action possible (Burke & Stets, 2009).
While our culture teaches leaders to summon courage from within, research shows people also find courage through others. These people "Anchor" us to our true selves—providing the right mix of identity affirmation and resilience support to help us rise during difficult times.
According to research, feeling like our true selves comes with a host of benefits, including
Greater physical and mental well-being,
Stronger and more satisfying relationships, and
A deep sense of self-esteem based on who you are, not what you achieve or accomplish (Knee & Browne, 2023).
How Anchors Differ from Other Relationships
WHEN PRESSURE PEAKS, RELATIONSHIPS MATTER MOST
In the daily pressure cooker of leadership, Anchor Relationships act like a superpower—providing the emotional fuel, mental clarity, and courage to thrive in challenging times.
Today’s high-stakes business environment is layered with ethical dilemmas, impossible deadlines, and pressure to make short-term decisions. The isolated leader—expecting to have all the answers—often makes decisions they later regret. But leaders who consistently navigate pressure with integrity aren't relying on willpower alone. They've cultivated relationships that anchor them to their authentic selves when everything else feels uncertain.
MOVING BEYOND THE MYTH OF INNER STRENGTH
Western cultures perpetuate a solitary hero mythology that permeates global business leadership, teaching leaders to dig deep and summon courage to make difficult decisions in isolation.
Research reveals a different reality: courage is often accessed through connection with others who help us remain true to our values despite external pressures to conform (Quinn & Worline, 2008). Though embraced in collectivist cultures, these other-oriented principles rarely shape corporate cultural norms.
While relationship quality greatly influences leadership effectiveness, most leaders receive minimal—if any—training in relationship formation. The Anchor Relationships framework fills this vacuum, illuminating relationship qualities that research consistently links to enhanced performance, resilience, and ethical decision-making.
BOOST WILLPOWER WITH FRIEND-POWER
The concept of willpower makes us think that courage is a solo sport. But the right relationships act as a source of courage and resilience. Learning to draw strength from our most reliable relationships can help us grow and adapt during the most challenging circumstances. Here are five resilience-boosting attributes of Anchors:
Stress Reduction: Strong emotional connections serve as buffers against workplace stress, helping leaders maintain composure and emotional balance (Cohen & Wills, 1985).
Expanding Resources: Quality relationships support resource expansion during setbacks by actively fortifying individuals with new strengths, adaptive coping strategies, and positive reframing that transform challenges into opportunities for growth (Feeney & Collins, 2015).
Improved Decision-Making: Meaningful bonds enable clearer thinking about problems by offering fresh perspectives, breaking down complex threats into understandable parts, and suggesting effective solutions that match the specific challenge (Cohen & Wills, 1985).
Increased Confidence: Supportive relationships boost confidence and self-belief, helping leaders persevere through obstacles with renewed determination and resilience (Bandura, 1997).
Reduced Burnout Risk: Quality relationships provide essential respite and recovery opportunities, preventing burnout by offering spaces for authentic connection and renewal (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).
The people we surround ourselves with have a profound impact on our personal growth. Learn to fuel your self-confidence, courage, and integrity by becoming more intentional about your relationships - at work and at home.
