Adversity: The Road and Vehicle of Leadership

One thing that I know, is that the idea of leadership is a lot more beautiful than the journey of leadership, or the practician of leadership. This is greatly because anyone can call themselves a leader when things are “all good” and people around them like them, but when things are rough and there are changes, challenges, and adversities ahead, it is the leaders responsibility to support, direct, and navigate through the oncoming storm. Adversity is the reason we need leaders and what develops them.

If you ask anyone whom you view as a great leader, where did they develop and became the person that you look up to and follow today, they will probably tell you that somewhere along their journey things got rough, and they fought it out, prevailed and learned from that experience. Leaders are people who do this over and over again. See this is the truth — Adversity creates leaders. Well let me define that a little better by saying:

“The act of prevailing through adversity, head-on, is what creates great leaders”

The ability to problem solve, create solutions, know the direction to travel, and having the faith that the hardships will create a better tomorrow, is what leadership is all about.

I look at this as a fundamental truth, to which future content can provide a more in-depth discussion around many of the details of leadership. To the basic core, leadership is being the person that can provide the direction and vision to someone or many, in need. Provide comfort to them, that by putting in the work, staying the course or following the path, there will be a future return for that individual. We count on leaders to create pathways for us to journey through adversity, for them to “lead the way”. This is one area where I believe everyone can be, in some capacity, a leader if they choose to do so. Now, to be clear, not everyone can scale this, but anytime you help, or support someone else, there is a glimpse of leadership there. This is often why leaders are positive people, they see the positive outcomes ahead and understand how to navigate through the storm to reach the positive outcomes. This is why we follow them.

Through overcoming adversity, leaders continue to learn to navigate through the storms, and the more times they do, the more efficient they become and the people following them gain faith in their leadership direction and continue to follow them. Adversity is essential for leaders to grow and continue to provide value to those they serve and support. It is also their purpose to stay true to the vision of tomorrow, figure out how to make the vision happen, and overcome all of the unforeseen challenges that are for sure to lie ahead.

Often times the most simple aspect of leadership tend to be overlooked or forgotten. Be the person that others look to for guidance, support and belief. As we look into the future and see the vision, be sure that you provide the needed support to help others weather the storm ahead. It is the duty of the leader to be the one that “leads the way” and provides the path to which others can find faith and follow the course to success through the storm.

Adversity: It’s why leaders exist.