Mental Toughness- CEO's most important skill

The list of attributes necessary for making a successful CEO is a long one. They must be intelligent, innovative, and ambitious, for starters. However, there is one that’s not always at the top of the list but has proven to be essential: Mental Toughness.

Achieving that takes time, guidance, and experience (both good and bad).

Mental toughness does not just happen – it is a process, and a conscious habit which has to be practiced every single day

Here are eight major benefits that come with building mental toughness.

1. It develops a winning attitude

Working on mental toughness requires a different frame of mind, it is usually linked to the “psychological concept behind peak performance,” but is more about “embracing the mindset of top performers.”

Thinking is the primary filter for every experience that you have, mediocre thinking promotes an equally low standard of performance and results. A winning mindset (i.e. the thinking, habits, and philosophies of elite performers) however, transforms the landscape. It unlocks the unlimited potential to create, influence and generate outcomes that activate success.

2. It builds self-confidence

When CEO's believe in themselves and their ability to lead — through both the good times and the bad — mental toughness is a natural benefit.

People who are self-confident believe that they can achieve success, despite any obstacles they encounter. They work hard to develop themselves in competitive environments. They are proactive, decisive, and courageous in spite of fear. 

3. It builds character

Tough times often lead to tough lessons, and those experiences contribute to building mental strength.

Delving deeply into the trenches, grappling with hardships, and doing whatever it takes to succeed is par for the course They welcome obstacles and uncertainty for their potential to make them smarter, more agile and resilient. … One of the exceptional hallmarks of mental toughness is that it helps leaders to reach for their ‘why.’ This is especially important during difficult times — when commitment may wax and wane. The internal drive to achieve goals despite setbacks is what distinguishes the world class from average performers

4. It creates emotional intelligence

This is “the cornerstone of mental toughness” our emotional intelligence (EQ) is flexible and can become better.

You cannot be mentally tough without the ability to fully understand and tolerate strong negative emotions and do something productive with them, moments that test your mental toughness are ultimately testing your emotional intelligence (EQ). Unlike your IQ, which is fixed, your EQ is a flexible skill that you can improve with understanding and effort.

5. It helps to tackle challenges

Those who are eager to face a new challenge are more likely to “think and work outside the box. This includes creativity, innovation and risk-taking, because “they are keenly focused on achieving positive outcomes.”

Change is absolutely necessary and offers a new way of being in this world, embracing change is one of the most critical element of mental toughness. 

6. It creates positivity

Being tough isn’t the same as being positive, but CEO's with mental toughness will likely have experienced enough to know the best ways for responding to difficult moments. Once that mindset has been established, a positive attitude is likely to follow and will spread to other employees.

Look at this approach, “No matter who you are, life will knock you down — count on it. The real question is what happens after you get knocked down? Do you chronically complain and bask in negativity, or do you have the mental toughness to defiantly say, ‘This will not break me. I will get up,’ even when you’re on the ground in intense emotional pain?”

7. It helps to handle problematic employees

Every CEO will have to manage difficult scenarios and difficult people. This, of course, is not an enjoyable or productive part of the job but is one that is unavoidable in all business settings. This is a time when mental toughness can pay off

Mentally tough people can control their interactions with toxic people by keeping their feelings in check. When they need to confront a toxic person, they approach the situation rationally. They identify their emotions and do not allow anger or frustration to fuel the chaos. They also consider the difficult person’s standpoint and can find common ground and solutions to problems. Even when things completely derail, mentally tough people are able to take the toxic person with a grain of salt to avoid letting him or her bring them down.

8. It helps to say goodbye to the past

Many people in business are haunted by past mistakes. A missed opportunity, a wrong decision, a situation that could have been handled better — these lessons are important, but so is letting go of those mistakes.

When something bad happens to you, see it as an opportunity to learn something you did not know. When another person makes a mistake, do not just learn from it — see it as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving and understanding. The past is just training; it does not define you. Think about what went wrong but only in terms of how you will make sure that next time, you and the people around you will know how to make sure it goes right.”

Start looking at mental toughness as seriously as your physical fitness, ultra-successful CEO’s and leaders are the owners of a bloody tough mind.

The School of Mental Toughness programs are curated specially for CEO's and leaders like you. Become the champion you were born to be..