One key characteristic of a leader of impact is that he or she has persisted in the face of failure, opposition, and success. Persistence in the face of success may seem incongruous, but many leaders get lazy or complacent when successful and this can lead to dire consequences. Having a clear purpose that is broad enough and specific enough will help the leader who may be tempted to veer off course.
First, what do we do when faced with failure? The most important thing is to be honest with ourselves and others about the failure. Making excuses or denying failure will prevent our learning from our mistakes and correcting for the future. Doing an honest assessment of the causes of failure will allow us to grow and actually become a better leader. The leader who continues to grow through problems will be much more likely to succeed in the future. Processing the failure with a trusted group of fellow leaders is a great encouragement if we are humble enough to admit it.
Those who can keep their head when all around them seem to be floundering are the leaders who stand out and make a positive difference.
Second, opposition is part of life. Shifts in market, cultural or political challenges, health issues, or totally uncontrollable issues such as the recent global pandemic all cause stress. But stress is part of life and helps define us as leaders of impact. Those who can keep their head when all around them seem to be floundering are the leaders who stand out and make a positive difference.
Finally, don’t be either overly proud or complacent about your success. Many well-known companies have collapsed due to being overly confident during successful periods. The world around us is constantly changing and evolving and what led to our current success may be the thing that will hinder us in the future. This is not something to be scared of or avoided. The leader of impact is both honest and relentless in her pursuit of success and that leads to more and greater success.
