Last year, during my time with Atlantik-Brücke, I asked a leader I admired a question that I stole from, Tim Ferris. “If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say?”. She didn’t hesitate. “Talk to your neighbor”, she replied.
At first, it felt too simple, but over time, and especially during the McCain Global Leaders Changemaker Tour in Arizona, I realized how profound those words truly are.
When I arrived in Tempe, I didn’t know exactly what to expect. I knew I would be joining four other colleagues from across the Americas and we would be challenged to have the kinds of conversations that too many people now avoid. Over six days in Arizona, our cohort of leaders met with policymakers, journalists, founders, educators, and business leaders that were all tackling the complex human realities surrounding migration.
What emerged from those discussions wasn’t just policy insight; it was a deeper lesson about leadership, courage and connection. We all have a shared responsibility to contribute positively within our own circles, to be the kind of neighbor who listens, supports, and helps weave community from difference. No single organization or government can manage these challenges alone, but small actions, multiplied across people, have compounding impacts.
Listening Across the Divide
Our journey began in the Arizona desert, a fitting setting for reflection. Throughout the week, I found myself practicing one of the most difficult skills any leader can develop: talking about hard things without turning them into battles. Whether sitting with a policymaker, a university scholar, or a member of law enforcement, I had to remind myself to lead with curiosity, rather than certainty.
Migration, we learned, isn’t a problem to “solve”. It is a permanent feature of a globalized world that calls for empathy, creativity, and collective responsibility. Each conversation recalled that everyone, regardless of background or ideology, plays a part. As a leader, you can’t build understanding from a distance, you must talk to those around you, the ones living the experiences you’re exploring.
Finding Common Ground
One of the first lessons in bridge building came over dinner with a McCain Institute board member. As we discussed leadership, we naturally found ourselves listening to a story about the late Senator McCain. We were told that nearly everyone in public service had, at some point, been “chewed out” by John McCain, but it was never personal. For him, ideas could be challenged fiercely without ever demeaning the person behind them. That distinction, between the validity of ideas and the worth of people, is something I will try to mold into my own leadership.
In today’s polarized world, fear often replaces dialogue. People hesitate to speak up, worried that disagreement will be taken as disrespect. That fear is corrosive; it prevents learning, innovation, and progress. McCain’s example reminded me that courage in leadership often starts with listening to someone you don’t agree with, and staying at the table anyway.
Courage and Imperfection
Throughout the tour, we heard from individuals on every side of the migration issue, from the Mexican Consulate staff offering critical services to families, to law enforcement leaders in Tucson balancing compassion with duty, to students at Arizona State University (ASU) navigating identity, advocacy, and policy. These encounters made one truth unmistakable–leadership is messy. Even when your intentions are good, you will make mistakes. What matters most is not perfection, but consistency of values. Showing up with integrity, owning your missteps, and staying aligned with your principles are the guardrails you’ll need on your leadership journey.
One law enforcement official shared how when someone finds themselves at odds with higher-level directives, you have to focus on what you (and your team) can control. This department’s moral compass demanded that they treat every person they encounter with dignity. That humility resonated with me. Doing the right thing doesn’t always mean being right, it means acting with a conscience when the path forward isn’t clear, or makes you uncomfortable.
Building a Culture of Problem Solving
During the week, I saw what it looks like when people choose collaboration over division. At ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise, we heard how interdisciplinary research is driving new solutions for complex problems. At organizations like the Welcome to America Project and Aliento, we met people who’ve built cultures of care and empowerment for people seeking a better life.
These examples showed that bridge-building isn’t just moral, it’s practical. When dialogue breaks down, progress stalls. However, when leaders develop a culture where people feel supported, success follows. That’s the kind of culture I hope to foster in my own professional and civic life. A culture focused on solving problems rather than assigning blame.
Holding on to the Good
Leadership often requires confronting difficult realities (fear, conflict, and injustice) without losing sight of what’s worth protecting. One of the most profound lessons I took from this experience was the importance of balance, to see what’s broken, but still believe in what is good. This hope isn’t naïve; it’s strategic. It’s the discipline of believing that small efforts compound, that relationships can heal divides, and that people can unite in shared purpose.
At the end of the week, we reflected on what we were taking home. Some spoke about policy insights, others about personal growth. For me, it came down to this: leadership requires conversation. Talking to your neighbor, especially when it’s uncomfortable, is the first act of courage. We may never agree on every issue, but if we can talk, we can build. And from that foundation, positive change becomes possible.
Carrying the Lesson Forward
The Western Hemisphere Changemaker Tour reminded me that leadership isn’t about standing apart, it’s about standing together. It’s about choosing to connect when it would be easier to withdraw, to listen when it would be more satisfying to speak, and to act with conviction even when the outcome is uncertain.
Bridge-building does not have to be a grand gesture; it’s a daily discipline. It starts with small choices: a conversation, a question, a shared meal. In these moments, the barriers we often imagine prove smaller than the connection we share.
So, if there’s one takeaway I’ll carry with me from my time in Arizona, it’s this: talk to your neighbor. Not to persuade or debate, but to understand. In listening to one another, we find solutions, and rediscover what it means to lead.
Lieutenant James Eggers is a McCain Global Leader and graduate student at Florida State University studying Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies. The views expressed herein are entirely his own, and do not represent the United States Coast Guard, or the Department of Homeland Security.