When I grew up, Concord was the state capital of our neighboring state — pronounced like “conquered” (KONG-kerd).

It was also a historical reference from studying the Revolutionary War (see the Battle of Lexington and Concord).

Concord was an everyday kind of unremarkable name.

So how did we end up with the name Concord Leadership? Are we history nerds? (Yes, but that’s not why.) Are we superfans of NH? (Yes, but that’s not why.)

We had an idea before we had a name. And we had a logo idea that said it better than our existing vocabulary. And we had some story references that are so good but, unfortunately, protected by corporations with a legal budget bigger than our annual budget for five years.

The image that has felt most us for our whole married life is the image of a lighthouse. Not just because we’re from Maine. But because of the drama of being a light in perilous places. Standing steadfast in storms. Inviting travelers toward safety — and away from harm.

You’ll see a strong reference to the lighthouse in our lantern logo.

The lantern was also inspired by a story (that must not be named) that included a lantern in the woods just outside — or inside — a “closet.” In that story, the lantern signaled home. It also signaled that the main characters had become who they were meant to be — a sense of fulfillment and completion — and more adventure to come.

We see ourselves and our work with leaders reflected in this lantern.

Concord (Leadership Group) as a name first came to us as a “maybe it’s good enough.” And the longer we live with it, the more we discover about how perfect it is that this word found us.

The leadership model we use and train is an overlapping of layers of organizational and personal characteristics. And as they come together and meet toward integrity in the center — that is concord.

Concord means a state of agreement. In music, it is two different tones that play together in a way that feels cohesive to a listener. Concord is unity and agreement. And for us, this is what leadership is meant to hold. There are distinct voices. And there is unity. There are many parts and an agreed-upon focus, plan, or direction.

In personal leadership, it is leading as a whole person — not in siloed sections of our days and responsibilities.

The Latin roots of Concord: con (with) and cord (heart) — hearts together, or whole-hearted.

So when we say Concord, we don’t just mean a name we settled on. We mean a whole-hearted agreement between the many parts of a person, and the many people in an organization, moving toward the same light.

That’s the work we do with leaders. Not smoothing out every difference until everyone sounds the same note. Concord isn’t unison. It’s harmony — distinct voices, held together, resolving into something more beautiful than any one of them could make alone.

And that’s the invitation the lantern still holds for us. It’s not just decoration on a logo. It’s a promise that there’s a way home — to who you were always meant to be — and that the story isn’t over yet. There’s more adventure coming.

We didn’t choose Concord because it sounded impressive. We chose it because, the longer we lived inside it, the more it turned out to already be true.

PS. and yes, we also prounounce it as “conquered” (KONG-kerd)