Do you see yourself as a leader who perseveres? This week we’ll examine five categories of preserving leaders. Which category best describes you?
This is part 3 in the 5-part series on The Power of Perseverance by Diana Gabriel, Certified Strengths Strategy Coach.
I’ve been reflecting on leaders who persevere.
The persevering leaders I’ve met really stand out: they have a significant impact, usually without commanding the limelight or fanfare. Their energy and attitude are distinct—sometimes refreshing, sometimes demanding and often challenging. They fall into several categories, each one a vital part of an organization’s path through challenging times. As you read on, where do you see yourself and your leadership?
The Mature and Seasoned Leader
We talked about this category in my last post. I’ve found that older leaders are generally wiser, steadier, more grounded, more focused, and more familiar with the landscape of success and failure. With age comes wisdom, clarity, and greater discernment over the corrections that need to be made at the leadership level.
Mature leaders have a greater self-awareness. They know their weaknesses and strengths, and how to fine-tune them for specific circumstances. They surround themselves with others who complement their strengths and pick up where their strengths lack. They’re more confident and diligent about making solid commitments, and they strive for the highest levels of accountability. In turn, they do what’s needed of them. They recognize the need for perseverance.
The Leader Who Loves the Work
Passion is another key ingredient for success. Blend passion with perseverance and you’ll reap optimal rewards, notes Angela Duckworth, in Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (Scribner, 2016). Loving what you do makes you more determined and creative. You’ll experience greater curiosity and challenge yourself to make improvements. Fueling your passion with purpose provokes an even greater platform to contribute.
When you lead with passion and purpose in your vision and your work you inspire your people to contribute. You and your people persevere through your attempts at working toward a successful outcome, adjusting along the way.
The Disciplined Leader
Disciplined leaders are driven to persevere and stay focused, applying their best effort, day in and day out. They achieve a great deal, even in tumultuous times. Duckworth’s research on leadership shows effort to be a driving force that’s even more critical than skill. Many have considerable skills but fail to persevere. The literature is loaded with stories of successful leaders who didn’t have the greatest skills but accomplished the seemingly impossible through valiant effort.
While disciplined leaders want to continuously improve and develop a skill until they’ve mastered it, they learn to withstand defeat because giving up is unacceptable to them. They persevere instead.
The Purpose-Driven Leader
Leaders who establish a purpose for their work experience a calling for what they do. They feel the need to contribute to something bigger than themselves. When their company improves because of their efforts, the results fulfill them. They add value, others enjoy the benefits, and they enjoy that outcome.
Leaders driven by purpose don’t view failure as the larger culture does. Failure is not to be avoided at all costs, but is a part of learning, with no cause for fear. Perseverance is more attainable when setbacks have no effect on one’s calling. Circumstances may change, but a purpose-driven leader’s calling does not.
The positive leader
Positive leaders know that they can improve their circumstances. They envision a better future and wholeheartedly pursue it. Embracing the challenges, they know they’ll learn something significant.
Positive leaders see a benefit in each step, even when some are backward. They’re confident that diligent effort pays off, and they persevere through storms because they know there’s sunshine on the other side.
Where do you see yourself and your leadership? Do you fall into one (or more) of these categories? Are you a leader who perseveres? I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me here and on LinkedIn.
Diana Gabriel, PPC
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