Tenacity. Perseverance. Courage. Compassion. I’ve seen and heard numerous definitions of leadership over the years. Some motivational, some inspirational, some purely functional. In my experience, these four traits sum it up best if we’re going to distinguish what it takes to be a phenomenal, hit-it-out-of-the-ballpark leader every time you step up to bat.
1. Tenacity – Tenacity takes a commitment to digging in your heels and holding your ground when you believe in something. Now I’m not talking about being a pompous jerk every time you have an idea about something. I’m referring to those times when you have a clear vision for a possible future even when others might not see it yet.
2. Perseverance – Perseverance then requires a leader to make it happen – at all costs, and especially in the face of adversity. Pursuing your passions takes steady and consistent effort. Change doesn’t happen overnight. Future visions take time to come to fruition. If they didn’t, we’d refer to them as being in the present, not future. It may not be easy, so great leaders often learn to keep going and going and going.
3. Courage – Courage is the personal character which enables great leaders to take those initial risks and put their new ideas out there for public consumption in the first place. Courage also allows great leaders not only to remain steadfast in their beliefs but also to cut their losses when they realize they may be wrong or incapable of pulling off a perceived miracle. Not every idea works out as we might expect or want, and it takes courage to throw in the towel and save your precious resources (including both money and energy) for the next time around.
4. Compassion – Finally, great leaders act with tremendous compassion for themselves and for those around them. It’s not about being right or wrong, good or bad for great leaders. It’s about taking risks, learning from your experiences (what many call “mistakes”), and doing it differently the next time around. All I can ask from my team members is that they give it their all and take accountability for their actions such that they learn what works well and what does not rather than blaming others or their current circumstances for any unintended outcomes.
Life is a process, not a result, so we can’t be too hard on people for trying and “messing up”. And we can’t be too afraid to even try something in the first place. Imagine America without a Christopher Columbus… What about electricity without Thomas Edison? Some of our greatest accomplishments come by accident – but only for those who are tenacious, persistent, and courageous enough to give it a shot!
