We often see leaders at the top, at their best, at times when they are winning. We don’t see the struggles and perseverance it took to get there. We don’t see the obstacles they often had to go through. Leaders are often lauded for their people-building abilities and their inspirational quotes, but what we don’t often realise is how many hours of perseverance and sometimes even pain that took to transform.

So, in this article, let's talk about the other side of a leader, the side less explored. Let’s look at the perseverance of a leader and how they use it to succeed.

Adapting to circumstances

Life throws curve balls. Many businesses went from doing great to going bankrupt because of the pandemic. The true leaders are still standing as they persevered and adapted to the circumstances life threw at them.

Imagine you were a surgeon and lost one of your arms. You would no longer be able to operate, you would be unable to do your job. However, perhaps you could use those skills elsewhere in lecturing or leading a medical company. Often these curve balls can lead us to better places!

Look at the situation, assess the facts, and then adapt. Leaders are consistently reinventing themselves to better suit the situation around them.

Continue Moving

As the saying goes, “if water stops moving, it goes stale”. The same goes for you. You cannot stagnate and wait for the situation to get better. As a leader, you must lead, adapt, and push through the obstacles. You need to keep moving, onwards and upwards.

Sharpen Your Sword

True leaders thrive as they are fighting with sharp swords. If you are fighting with a blunt sword, you will likely struggle, but if you spend hours keeping your sword sharp every day, you too could be fighting with a sharp sword.

Focus on reading, growing, learning, and improving on a consistent and regular basis. This will help to keep your sword sharp, allowing you to lead better on the good and the bad days.

Measure Your Progress

Taking the time to measure your progress and success is an important part of growing yourself as a leader. Look back on this year, and measure how your influence has grown and the number of lives you have touched. Use this to set goals and do better next year.

Leaders have built the unprecedented skill to preserve through some of life’s most difficult circumstances. You too can build these skills through constantly growing and reinvesting yourself. You too can become a leader.