The Independence Paradox: Real Freedom Requires Responsibility & Connection
Plus: A special Independence Day offer to join the Basecamp
Read time: 6 minutes
TLDR: Commitment and connection contribute to freedom movements, Independence Day is a time to reflect on our own commitments and connections, and the Basecamp is on sale for $76!
Hi Timeless Leaders,
"With great power comes great responsibility."
Spider-Man's uncle was right… but he got it backwards.
At least when it comes to everyday people, responsibility isn't the price of power.
It's the source.
Angela Davis gets this paradox. In Freedom is a Constant Struggle, she writes: "I don't think we can rely on governments, regardless of who is in power, to do the work that only mass movements can do."
Only when we each take responsibility for what we can control, and we work together towards a common end, can we really shape the world how we want.
We see this in business as much as we see it in the history of the American Revolution or the Civil Rights Movement. McKinsey's research on 2,600+ organizations shows that companies with distributed leadership deliver 3x higher shareholder returns.1
Great outcomes don’t come from heroic CEOs.
They come from networks of people all taking responsibility.
The American founders – flawed as they were – succeeded because they grasped this truth.
The Revolutionary Math of Interdependence
Forget the mythology of a few “great” men.
Let's talk committed people (who back their beliefs with their own dinero), and the role of community in driving change.
Robert Morris wasn't just the "Financier of the Revolution" – he was arguably the most important founder you've never heard of. This Philadelphia merchant personally underwrote the Revolution, using his trading network to secure $10 million (about $300 million today) in loans and supplies.
When Washington's army was literally starving at Valley Forge in 1778, Morris leveraged every relationship he had. He issued personal notes backed by his own credit when the government's was worthless. His "Morris notes" became more trusted than Continental currency.2
He died with massive debts in 1806 – not from profligacy (although some of his land investments went bust), but because the U.S. government never fully repaid him. The man who saved the Revolution spent three years near the end of his life in debtor's prison.
That's not tragedy. That's commitment.
Haym Salomon pulled similar moves. A Polish Jewish immigrant, he brokered bills of exchange to fund the Revolution, charging below-market rates (often zero). Modern estimates suggest he provided $650,000 (about $18 million today) in loans – never collected.
Then there were the Mechanics – artisans and tradespeople whose committees of correspondence created America's first distributed intelligence network. No Slack. No email. Just people who understood that responsibility + connection = power.
Your Independence Audit
As we head into the holiday weekend, I hope you’ve got plans to celebrate past progress toward gains in freedom… and reflect on the real work before us to defend and build on those gains.
I can't help you with the celebration. But for the reflection, these prompts can guide you:
Who controls your economic fate? ("No taxation without representation") The colonists rebelled because they had no say in their own affairs. What about you? How can you diversify your revenue sources, or gain more control over them? How can you advocate for a more stable, just, and transparent economy?
How can you refine your commitments? (“Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness”) What do you do that aligns to foundational principles — and can you do more of that? What takes up your time and energy that’s misaligned — and can you drop that?
Who can you build your freedom community with? ("United we stand") Where are you going alone, where you ought to bring others with you? Who do you know who deserves more of your support? How are you cultivating deeper relationships with those that share your vision for a free and prosperous future?
You might journal about these questions, or just pause to reflect on them.
Or, you can discuss them with us next week in our upcoming Basecamp!
The $76 Revolution
The TL Basecamp community has been running now for three months and we’re gearing up for growth.
Last month, we focused the conversation on AI, and one member dropped this truth bomb:
I feel like we're at the lowest trust point geopolitically, internationally, and domestically. This is the most interesting time – a demonstration of how fragile or how strong the whole system is. If we can get through this, we can end up at a new level. But it's a test.
She shared that she even has a t-shirt that says: "Relax, nothing is under control."
That's the conversation level we're operating at. Not productivity hacks. Not networking fluff. Deep examination of how to lead when the center isn't holding.
(Along with some practical tips — I did do an AI software demo during the call).
An Impactful Membership that’s PRACTICALLY Free
Starting today and through Independence Day weekend, Basecamp membership is on sales for $76/year. That's:
22% off the normal annual price
Less than $7 (a decent latte) per monthly session
Per session, less than 1% of a mediocre two-day conference where you'll exchange 47 business cards and remember zero conversations
Basecamp is designed to fit your schedule, to supplement your other networks, and to drive transformation over the long-term… when so much else is short-term, narrowly focused, and transactional.
You only need to come to a few meeting per year to make it worth it.
Subscribe / upgrade for $76/year — the best price I’ll offer all year.
Sale ends on Monday at 12am EDT (9pm PDT).
What Happens Next
On Thursday, if you’re subscribed to the Business Growth newsletter I’ll do my second email about email as a growth lever for business.
Next week, I'm reviewing Main Street Millionaire – a book about buying profitable small businesses that nobody else wants. It's the same principle: real wealth comes from networks and systems, not individual heroics.
It’s also a revolutionary call to action for everyday leaders to protect independent businesses for their communities and from being vacuumed up by Wall Street.
Until then, I hope you’ll remember what the founders knew. What Davis knows. What the data shows:
With great responsibility comes great power.
Use your power to build broad-based freedom.
Do it together.
Happy (Early) Independence Day,
Joe
Robert Morris: Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution by Charles Rappleye (2010)