How Do You Handle Adversity?

By Steve Wiley

Several years ago, a colleague introduced me to a fundamental leadership concept that completely changed how I manage adversities. The CORE model, developed by Paul Stoltz, has helped me deal with setbacks as small as losing my keys (a near-daily occurrence) to more significant disruptions like the 2008 economic collapse or our current situation.

I like models that a third-grader could understand – and not a very smart third grader – which is why I find the CORE acronym and its components of Control, Ownership, Reach, and Endurance, so compelling. This is how I've used CORE through this adversity.

The CORE Model Explained

Control: Focus on What You Can Influence

Being proactive is so critical to handling adversity. The first step is to identify the things we can control and the things we cannot. We cannot control what happened, so I try not to spend time worrying about the past. What I can do is think about how I can support my clients and team members during this time.

What are some of the proactive things you could do at this time?

Ownership: Finding Opportunity in Adversity

Though the original model calls this step "Ownership," I've always thought of a different "O" word: "Opportunity." Despite the setbacks and downsides of this situation, what are some of the opportunities that may arise? Personally, this has been moving some of our content online so that we can support our clients in new ways.

What is the single-most impactful action you could take today or this week to find and seize an opportunity?

Reach: Keep Problems in Their Proper Box

Keeping the adversity in its proper box is critical. The coronavirus has undoubtedly impacted my business and professional life, but quarantining with my family is a constant reminder that this adversity is beneficial in some areas.

What might you do to keep the adversity in the box in which it belongs?

Endurance: Shorten the Timeline

I have taken steps to limit the length of this adversity putting plans into place to adapt the logistics of our programs so that we can safely offer them as soon as possible and by making scheduling contingency plans with many of our clients. We are looking forward to a great fall 2020 and 2021!

What can you do to shorten the timeline of adversity?

Applying CORE to Different Types of Adversity

The beauty of the CORE model is its versatility. Whether you're facing:

Personal Setbacks

Control: Focus on your response, attitude, and next steps
Ownership/Opportunity: What can you learn? How might this redirect you positively?
Reach: Don't let one area of difficulty contaminate everything else
Endurance: What concrete steps can reduce the duration of impact?

Organizational Challenges

Control: Identify decisions within your authority vs. external factors
Ownership/Opportunity: How might this challenge strengthen your organization?
Reach: Prevent crisis thinking from spreading to healthy areas
Endurance: Develop specific plans to navigate through the difficulty

Market Disruptions

Control: Focus on customer relationships, team development, operational efficiency
Ownership/Opportunity: What new capabilities or markets might emerge?
Reach: Maintain perspective on what's working well
Endurance: Create concrete action plans with timelines

The Third-Grade Test

CORE has helped me often over the last decade or so, and never more than right now. It's simple enough for my third-grade brain, but you just might find it useful too!

Historical Applications

The CORE model applies perfectly to historical leadership challenges:

Lincoln during the Civil War: Controlled his response to setbacks, found opportunities in crisis, contained despair to military defeats (not personal worth), and endured with specific plans for reconstruction
Churchill in WWII: Focused on British resolve he could influence, seized opportunities in dark moments, prevented defeatism from reaching all areas of society, and planned for victory even in darkest hours

Making CORE Your Default Response

To implement CORE as your go-to adversity response:

Print and post the four questions somewhere you'll see them regularly
Practice on small adversities - losing keys, traffic jams, minor setbacks
Teach it to your team - shared frameworks create organizational resilience
Review and adjust - after working through adversity, evaluate how CORE helped

Questions for Immediate Application

When facing your current challenges, ask yourself:

Control: What aspects of this situation can I directly influence? What should I stop trying to control?

Ownership/Opportunity: What positive possibilities might emerge from this adversity? What's one opportunity I could pursue today?

Reach: How can I prevent this problem from contaminating areas of my life that are working well?

Endurance: What specific actions can I take to shorten the duration or impact of this challenge?

The Power of Simple Frameworks

Sometimes the most powerful leadership tools are the simplest ones. CORE doesn't require advanced training or complex analysis - just the discipline to ask four clear questions when adversity strikes.

The next time you face a setback, remember: you may not control what happens to you, but you can always control what happens next.

What adversity in your life could benefit from the CORE approach today?