Prior to taking on my current position in the College of Business at Idaho State University, I taught at Penn State Brandywine, located about 15 miles west of downtown Philadelphia. One of the most enjoyable parts of living in southeastern Pennsylvania was the easy access to practically any era of American history.

For instance, only blocks from my home was the Logtown neighborhood, 5 miles north of the famous Mason-Dixon line. Logtown was founded by former Revolutionary War troops who hastily retreated from the British’s victory in the Battle of Brandywine, abandoned their military posts and settled on farms in log cabins with their families (hence the name).

Fast-forwarding a century, one of the underrated historical gems in the area is the Honeycomb Union AME Church. Built in 1852, the church became an important “stop” on the Underground Railroad until the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861. Hidden away in the attic of the church were secret records of escaped slaves who sought shelter in the church on their journey northward toward freedom.

Living in that region piqued my curiosity, but information about the Underground Railroad is sometimes difficult to come by. Therefore, it was a treat to read “Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad,” written by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner. From the perspective of someone who studies organizations, I was particularly struck by two insights:

1. Positive impact despite imperfect organizing. A primary purpose of Foner’s book was to dispel the mythology that has arisen over the past century and a half that the Underground Railroad was a formal, well-funded and cohesive operation. To the contrary, for most of the half-century leading up to the Civil War, the Underground Railroad was largely an informal network of individuals, churches and civic organizations that sought out opportunities to aid former slaves as they escaped from the South. Leading abolitionist organizations such as the American Anti-Slavery Society were run on a shoestring budget, relying on ad-hoc and in-kind donations yet never having enough funding to meet every need.

Further undermining the image of a unified organization, the individuals and organizations associated with the Underground Railroad were in constant conflict. As Foner wrote, “The heated exchanges among people deeply committed to the same goal of ending slavery … exemplify what Sigmund Freud later called, ‘the narcissism of small differences.’” 

The question, then, is how did such a decentralized, poorly funded and even somewhat dysfunctional organization succeed in helping thousands upon thousands of former slaves attain their freedom? I think it is fair to say that the Underground Railroad is an inspiring example of how a flawed organization, navigating incredibly adverse and divisive circumstances, can still make a positive difference. Which brings me to the second important insight:

2. The strength of the Underground Railroad came from its creative, entrepreneurial spirit. Time and again, those associated with the Underground Railroad used remarkable ingenuity and courage to find innovative solutions to intimidating obstacles. Primary among them was Harriet Tubman, who made many of her daring raids to guide slaves to freedom in winter, when the cold, dark nights provided greater cover for escape. William Still in Philadelphia and Sydney Howard Gay in New York City worked tirelessly to coordinate the transit of escaping slaves through those cities and frequently paid for expenses out of their own pockets.

Others affiliated with the Underground Railroad included Thomas Garrett (of Wilmington, Delaware), who openly flouted the laws of his state by harboring escaping slaves in his home at the consequence of substantial fines and threats of imprisonment. Both the son and grandson of John Jay, one of the framers of the U.S. Constitution and the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, used their legal training to defend scores of escaped slaves who were in danger of being sold back into slavery.

The adversity that organizations face today, of course, is very different but also quite daunting. The difficulties of hiring (in the midst of today’s “Great Resignation”) and solidifying culture in the return to work after the pandemic are unprecedented in recent memory. If you are an entrepreneur or manager who is disheartened by today’s challenging economic environment and shortcomings in your organization, let me offer you this encouragement. Despite its imperfections, the success of the Underground Railroad reveals that the creative, courageous and collaborative actions of a network of committed individuals can beat almost unthinkable odds and make a positive difference.

Alex Bolinger is the ICCU endowed professor of management in the Idaho State University College of Business. He studies the dynamics of groups and teams in organizations and he teaches courses in leadership, decision-making and negotiation, and entrepreneurship.