Leadership Grit: Resilience in the New Era Workplace

“Every great story happened when someone decided not to give up.” ~ Spryte Loriano.

Never quit! That is the advice echoed by generations of success gurus. Unfortunately, that advice often needed clarification as I navigated the road to happy destiny. I am a skilled quitter. Most of my best opportunities resulted from quitting. At the beginning of my career, I would leave jobs that didn't “feel” right. Some paid well, were prestigious, and had perks that my colleagues valued. But not me. I remember quitting several positions, but when my boss, colleagues, and loved ones asked “why,” I couldn’t quite explain.?

I was searching for a feeling. I wasn’t searching for a “position” or “opportunity.” I now know I was searching for my tribe.? I wanted to be part of a group that believed what I believed. It was a matter of WHY not WHAT. At the time, I didn’t understand why I was compelled to do so, but in retrospect, it is clear to me now. For me, a great opportunity was to be part of an organization with an inspiring vision and consistent leadership aligned with that vision.?

I discovered that I wasn’t alone. Others like me were seeking more than a paycheck. So my boss became my tribal leader. They were the chief culture leader, not the taskmaster. They were consistent and relentless in their ability to focus the team on what really mattered. They had what I now call “Leadership Grit.” It is cultural leadership fortitude!?

Times have changed. There is a “new era workplace” with a new generation that wants more or different from their place of work. Unfortunately, many leaders today no longer understand how to navigate this new era.?

Many entrepreneurs start their journey inspired by a dream to create something unique and exciting. Some want to create wealth, be independent, or change the world. Whatever the reason for starting a business, I doubt the dream included dealing with “people problems.” But here you are, trying to navigate the BS day in and day out. Sometimes you wonder why you started the journey in the first place.

Business problems are “people problems.” There is a common leadership syndrome in the new era that I call “Leadership Resentment Syndrome.” I know a lot of entrepreneurs who not only dislike their employees but resent them as well. Besides all the hassle of dealing with individual and team challenges, it often comes down to resentment over compensation and not being appreciated for everything you do for your team.?

Sound familiar? It happened to me, and I believe it is pretty common. Leadership resentment is a slow-acting poison that snuffs the life out of your dream. You lose the purpose and passion that drives your ability to navigate your opportunity. Living the dream is more like a nightmare. It wears you down and minimalizes your business results. Goodbye to grit and so long to the joy of the entrepreneurial journey. Is there a remedy? Yes, but it requires accepting the actual reality of the journey and embracing it.

Twenty-three years ago, I interviewed for a managing partner position with a hospitality company. I knew little about the company and less about its leaders. I had a comfortable position with another organization and was interviewing more out of curiosity and the ego-gratification of being courted.? I flew to Atlanta, and after four hours of testing, I was interviewed by several of the top brass. Fairly standard interview process and questions. Finally, I was interviewed by an owlish gentleman who asked me what I thought was an obvious question that deserved an obvious answer. I was mistaken.?

“What do you think we actually do here, Ed?” I replied, “Um, create outstanding hospitality experiences for our guests?” He startled me by replying in a booming voice, “No! Try again!” I fumbled through several iterations of WHAT the company did and realized I was failing this portion of the interview process. He was merciful and eventually gave me the answer. “We are in the education business. We just happen to operate restaurants.” He smiled and went silent, waiting to see if I would grasp the concept. I sat there stunned by the beauty and simplicity of the idea. I smiled at the wise old owl. He smiled back. He knew I got “it.” I also got the job.?

“It” was the understanding that business is always, first and foremost, about people. It is a deep and abiding commitment to your responsibility as a leader. Leadership Grit is understanding that you cannot blame your team for their existence. A Level-5 leader understands that if their people thrive, their business will thrive.?

The Three Rules of Leadership Grit:

1. Care about people: if you resent your team, they will know it and never fully commit to your vision and mission.
2. Understand people: you need to understand what your team needs from you as a leader.
3. Take 100% responsibility: every problem in your organization reflects you as a leader.?