CONCLUSION

The Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu said:

“The evil leader is he whom men despise. The good leader is he whom men revere. The great leader is he of whom the people say: ‘We did it ourselves’.”

It is true that crises can sometimes bring out the worst in people. And a crisis can reveal all the shortcomings and vulnerabilities of an organization that were hidden during the good times. A crisis can tear people and teams apart. We can hunker down, retreat to what we know and wait for the storm to pass.

And yet, crises can also bring out the best in people. Organizations can become stronger, more resilient, and more e?ective on the other side. Tough times can bind people and teams together. We can become more inventive and find new, better ways of doing things that last long after the crisis is over.

Great leadership is a catalyst to bring out the best in people. We have talked about the role, the characteristics and the tools of leadership. These are all designed to achieve the highest calling of a leader. A leader unlocks potential in others.

In my experience, people always have more potential than they realize; the potential to create, to overcome, to inspire, to problem- solve. A leader’s highest calling is to tap into and focus that virtually limitless human potential on the crisis at hand, the problems that must be solved, the challenges that must be overcome. Leadership is a catalyst for getting through the bad times so that opportunities can be seized when better times return. Leaders unlock potential in others, so that others can do more themselves. 

?To learn more, check out Carly's digital leadership course: Unlocking Your Potential

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