Leadership involves risk and the potential for failure. There are intentions, goals and plans and then there are real outcomes, and the wider the gap between them the greater the tension that people feel. Often, this gap is where communities fracture. Effective leadership requires quick recovery as an individual and then determined resolution for the entire community.
A resilient leader learns how to adjust and respond in the face of resistance and challenges and then models the way for the rest of the community to do the same. For this to happen, leaders need to have a healthy view of mistakes as opportunities—not only for themselves, but for those around them. Leaders are calm and poised under conditions that are less than perfect. They become comfortable in the face of negative feedback because they have nurtured the capacities of authenticity, purpose and sponsorship. Resilient leaders consider all experiences as opportunities for learning—whether the outcomes were positive or negative and then they bounce back.
“Recognizing the challenges of leadership, along with the pains of change, shouldn’t diminish anyone’s eagerness to reap the rewards of creating value and meaning in other people’s lives. There’s a thrill that comes with the creation of value—and of course there’s money and status—and those rewards are surely worth the pain that comes with the territory. There are lots of things in life that are worth the pain. Leadership is one of them.”
Ronald Heifetz, Harvard Professor and author of Leadership Without Easy Answers |
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