ue bot icon

Leadership Thought #411 – Leaders Should Embrace The Challenge

Categories: ,

October 22, 2012

Leadership Thought #411 – Leaders Should Embrace The Challenge

Table of Contents

Leadership can be a challenge and humble even the most capable of people. However, it should energize you more than drain you emotionally and physically. If you are in a constant state of stress or unhappiness, you should ask yourself what is wrong with your actions. I always feel a sense of sadness when I encounter a defeated leader who believes they are a victim of their circumstances. It is as if they are bearing the world’s weight on their shoulders. There is little joy left in their work for them. You feel they are just plugging away from a sense of overriding responsibility.

I tell my clients that their goal should be to have their organization work like a Swiss watch. You don’t worry about your watch working, and it is not dependent on you to make the clock tick. It will work accurately and consistently for years without any problems. The mechanics are flawless.

When you hire the right people, put them in the right roles, guide them in the right direction using the right tools, and follow the right processes, good things inevitably happen.

People complicate things. Leaders can be the biggest culprits in inhibiting their own progress and success. When you are no longer excited and energized by your opportunities, it is a sign that something is amiss. This doesn’t mean you should expect every day to be easy, but rather that you should be ready for any challenge. Often, you are making it more complicated than it should be. The opportunity to lead others is a privilege and should be embraced accordingly.

Adversity does build character. Solving complex challenges is both rewarding and self-satisfying. Being able to do what few people can do well sets you apart from the crowd. Everyone tries to scale the mountain, but few get to the top. In your darker moments, I encourage you to remember this. Most people go through life and defer their professional destiny to the decision-making of others. It is the luxury and privilege of leaders to shape their own and others’ futures.

Although it’s often challenging to master, leadership is a learned skill. You cannot simply rely on your willpower and work ethic to achieve success.  Long-term growth and sustainable success are directly correlated to your ability to get the most out of other people and to leverage their skills and capabilities. Your job is to make proactive and sound financial decisions, guide and motivate your staff, and then hold them accountable for the results. Employees need to wake up every day and see their future and success properly aligned with the goals and culture of the organization. They must also feel capable decision-makers are in charge of their work fate. It can’t just be you or a handful of people doing all the worrying and problem-solving. Success needs to be an organization-wide endeavor.

In my experience, an organization’s culture is just a reflection of its leaders and their behavior. You can feel it the moment you enter the organization and sit in on a meeting. Leaders who lament the state of their company and the demands of their role should examine themselves closely. Every day, you get to make a choice.

Are you up to the challenge? True leadership is about an individual being ready, willing, and able to embrace the moment, whatever that means.

Follow our business development newsletter

We have a weekly newsletter packed full of weekly updates of latest content posted here.

‘Ask Ed’ AI Chatbot: Ed has developed this chatbot to allow you to easily access the content he has complied over the last 30 years as a business and leadership coach. Click ‘Ask Ed’ below to get your questions answered.