Discovering your leadership skills in times of adversity

Build Your Values and Principles.

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Great leaders are lauded for their successes. But, paradoxically, what makes good leaders great are the trials and tribulations of failure. Very often, the lessons learned from confronting fear and uncertainty, and from experiencing frustration, transform good leaders into great ones. Today, leaders who have endured adversity are most likely to be the ones with the resilience and resolve to succeed. - David L. Dotlich

All of us have the spark of leadership inside us, whether it is in business, in government, or as a nonprofit volunteer. The challenge is to understand ourselves well enough to discover how we can use our leadership skills to serve others. What makes leaders different are their strong values and principles, which they promptly fall back upon when faced with an adverse situation. 

Discovering your inner leadership skills requires courage and commitment. You cannot become a leader simply by imitating someone else. You first need to know who you are and you will be tested daily. Hard times are a great opportunity for you to develop as a leader. 

Here are 5 things you can work on when times get hard to grow as a leader: 

1. Build Resilience - true leaders don’t give up. Jeff Bezos: “All overnight success takes about 10 years.”

2. Take Responsibility - Don’t blame others, own your mistakes and learn from them.

3. Appreciate Negative Feedback - Negative feedback is your biggest opportunity to get better. Stay silent, take notes and listen. Someone is giving you a quick road to success. 

4. Focus on Your Strengths - leaders know what they and their teams are good at. Addressing your weaknesses is great but make sure you capitalize on your strengths. 

5. Identify New Goals - the best times in life to plan where you want to go as when you are at the bottom. 

As a leader, you will need to build the emotional capacity to tolerate uncertainty, frustration, and pain. Leaders demonstrate a passion for their purpose, practice their values consistently. Lead with your hearts as much as your heads. 

Be Yourself. You Stellar.

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