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The Best Ways To
Lead Through
Adversity
By David Kiger Courtesy of Robin Smink at flickr.com
+ If we want to talk about leadership, we must board the subject
of adversity, as it is one of the best opportunities for a great
leader to shine and one of the most decisive moments in
which true leadership can make all the difference. Times of
adversity can bring out the best in people as individuals and
in the case of a leader; the importance of making the most out
of these opportunities is enhanced as they carry a
responsibility unlike the majority of regular people. Leaders
are known for their resourcefulness, ingenuity and outside-
of-the-box thinking as we have illustrated plenty of times in a
few of our articles here in David Kiger’s Slideshare; so today
we will take a look at how those valuable leadership skills
translate as available and useful tools to ahead when times are
tough. Here we have some attitudes displayed by a great
leader when things aren’t going well in an organization and
how they make the most of it to in the end, come out on top.
+ Not becoming emotional
A great leader understands the importance of not letting emotions
affect the way you act. This can be said for both good times and
difficult times as well, as being affected by emotion can show team
members a lack of objectivity and inability to make smart decisions.
No matter how bad things are, a leader knows he must keep a cool
head in times of adversity and no matter the way they feel inside,
display a calm and collected attitude when it comes to making
decisions.
Finding a lesson amongst the difficulties
Leaders know that adversity can be seen as an opportunity to learn
from mistakes and adjust strategies to better respond to the
demands of the business. Great and wise leaders look at challenges
as some of the best teaching moments and do not stop there, they
also help those around them learn from the experiences as well,
making their entire team stronger and better prepared.
+ It isn’t personal
A good leader does not take things personally when they don’t go
their way. Emotional intelligence allows great leaders to remain
calm and avoid justifying their actions in a way that may seem like it
is personal. Bad things happen, sometimes it is your fault but
sometimes there is little that can be done about it so it is best to
focus on what is to come without dwelling on the past. A great
leader knows how to make those distinctions.
Staying positive for more than one reason
A positive attitude can help anyone get through the hardest of times
as it lightens the psychological load of the frustration one may feel
when things go wrong. That is one reason to stay positive, but a
great leader knows that sometimes is about something greater than
themselves, like the organization and the other team members who
look up to them for guidance. A positive attitude shows confidence
and control over the situation.
+ Being accountable
Accountability goes beyond simply taking responsibility for your
actions and decisions, it also means taking the necessary steps to solve
the situation and to put contingencies in place to better react next time.
A great leader knows he must neutralize the situation and assure those
around them that it will not happen anymore because they are
personally taking care of it and taking the necessary steps to avoid a
reoccurrence.
Not losing confidence
Maintaining composure in a time of crisis is a trademark of a great
leader. One of the best ways to do this is by showing those around you
that you have been here before and know how to react in a crisis.
Being around someone who has dealt before with the hardship we are
going through right now, creates a feeling of calmness and
reassurance to face adversity. Being calm not only helps those around
feel more relaxed and willing to help remedy the situation, but it also
helps you be able to step back and evaluate what is happening in order
to make better decisions about where to proceed next.
+ Not losing sight of purpose
Nothing motivates people like understanding and taking
ownership of their purpose. No matter how hard times are, when
people have a purpose they will know where to direct their
efforts in order to work hard towards a resolution. A leader must
motivate their people in a time of crisis and sometimes the best
way of doing this is by not letting them lose sight of their
purpose and the overall goals of the organization. People need to
feel that there is a reason why not to give up.
Maintaining communication channels open
During times of adversity, the worst thing a leader can do is to
create a wall between them and their team and believe that they
need to be isolated to collect their thoughts. The team should
always be informed of what is going on so they can feel they are
important to the organization and also a part of the solution.

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The Best Ways To Lead Through Adversity

  • 1. + The Best Ways To Lead Through Adversity By David Kiger Courtesy of Robin Smink at flickr.com
  • 2. + If we want to talk about leadership, we must board the subject of adversity, as it is one of the best opportunities for a great leader to shine and one of the most decisive moments in which true leadership can make all the difference. Times of adversity can bring out the best in people as individuals and in the case of a leader; the importance of making the most out of these opportunities is enhanced as they carry a responsibility unlike the majority of regular people. Leaders are known for their resourcefulness, ingenuity and outside- of-the-box thinking as we have illustrated plenty of times in a few of our articles here in David Kiger’s Slideshare; so today we will take a look at how those valuable leadership skills translate as available and useful tools to ahead when times are tough. Here we have some attitudes displayed by a great leader when things aren’t going well in an organization and how they make the most of it to in the end, come out on top.
  • 3. + Not becoming emotional A great leader understands the importance of not letting emotions affect the way you act. This can be said for both good times and difficult times as well, as being affected by emotion can show team members a lack of objectivity and inability to make smart decisions. No matter how bad things are, a leader knows he must keep a cool head in times of adversity and no matter the way they feel inside, display a calm and collected attitude when it comes to making decisions. Finding a lesson amongst the difficulties Leaders know that adversity can be seen as an opportunity to learn from mistakes and adjust strategies to better respond to the demands of the business. Great and wise leaders look at challenges as some of the best teaching moments and do not stop there, they also help those around them learn from the experiences as well, making their entire team stronger and better prepared.
  • 4. + It isn’t personal A good leader does not take things personally when they don’t go their way. Emotional intelligence allows great leaders to remain calm and avoid justifying their actions in a way that may seem like it is personal. Bad things happen, sometimes it is your fault but sometimes there is little that can be done about it so it is best to focus on what is to come without dwelling on the past. A great leader knows how to make those distinctions. Staying positive for more than one reason A positive attitude can help anyone get through the hardest of times as it lightens the psychological load of the frustration one may feel when things go wrong. That is one reason to stay positive, but a great leader knows that sometimes is about something greater than themselves, like the organization and the other team members who look up to them for guidance. A positive attitude shows confidence and control over the situation.
  • 5. + Being accountable Accountability goes beyond simply taking responsibility for your actions and decisions, it also means taking the necessary steps to solve the situation and to put contingencies in place to better react next time. A great leader knows he must neutralize the situation and assure those around them that it will not happen anymore because they are personally taking care of it and taking the necessary steps to avoid a reoccurrence. Not losing confidence Maintaining composure in a time of crisis is a trademark of a great leader. One of the best ways to do this is by showing those around you that you have been here before and know how to react in a crisis. Being around someone who has dealt before with the hardship we are going through right now, creates a feeling of calmness and reassurance to face adversity. Being calm not only helps those around feel more relaxed and willing to help remedy the situation, but it also helps you be able to step back and evaluate what is happening in order to make better decisions about where to proceed next.
  • 6. + Not losing sight of purpose Nothing motivates people like understanding and taking ownership of their purpose. No matter how hard times are, when people have a purpose they will know where to direct their efforts in order to work hard towards a resolution. A leader must motivate their people in a time of crisis and sometimes the best way of doing this is by not letting them lose sight of their purpose and the overall goals of the organization. People need to feel that there is a reason why not to give up. Maintaining communication channels open During times of adversity, the worst thing a leader can do is to create a wall between them and their team and believe that they need to be isolated to collect their thoughts. The team should always be informed of what is going on so they can feel they are important to the organization and also a part of the solution.