Today we want to further emphasize on the important role of leaders guiding the company through difficult times and how they are seen as a beacon of light when in the shadow of adversity.

1. What Great Leaders Do In The Face
Of Adversity
By David Kiger
Courtesy of Prad Prathivi at Flickr.com

2. Times of adversity are known for bringing the best out of true
leaders. Trials present great opportunities to learn, grow and
to distance yourself from the herd by overcoming adversity
and being reborn with an newly acquired set of skills that
further prepares you to deal with future hardship in more
efficient ways.
Leadership is forged when the iron is still hot, so hard-times
are not met by true leader with fear but with high
expectation and eagerness for new challenges. For this article
here at David Kiger’s Slideshare, we want to further
emphasize on the important role of leaders guiding the
company through difficult times and how they are seen as a
beacon of light when in the shadow of adversity.

3. Leaders Take Responsibility.
A great leader is accountable for the setbacks and takes
responsibility for his or her actions. By doing so, they allow
for the rest of the team to stop focusing on what went wrong
and being working on how to fix it and prevent it from ever
happening again. A good leader knows that ultimately he is
responsible for things when they go wrong the same way he
is credited for success when things do not go the way it was
expected. A positive attitude is indicative of great leadership
and not staying stuck feeling sorry for what could have been,
effective leaders simply own it, leave it behind and look
forward for ways to make it no more than an old story about
how an important lesson was learned.

4. Leaders Learn Their Lesson.
Effective leaders see setbacks as nothing more than great
learning opportunities. Pain and disappointment are
temporary conditions, but lessons can last a lifetime. A great
leader lets curiosity take over self-pity and wonders about
the reasons that lead them to where they are, not to wallow
in pity, but to find that learning opportunity and always make
the best out of a bad situation. A leader doesn’t simply
absorbs the lesson and moves on, they share it with their
team so they can all grow together as a group.

5. Leaders Focus On Strengths.
The strengths of your team are what set them apart from the
rest. A great leader dwells not on what is weak but uses what
his team is good at in order to help them raise and overcome.
Focusing on your weakness is important in order to
continuously improve; however that is not a place where you
will often find greatness. Your strengths are crucial in times
of adversity to remember how you will out this hard times
behind and a great leader will always focus on this aspect,
because more often than not, they were instrumental in
building those pillars of strength that support the team.

6. Leaders Remember The Mission.
Maintaining a clear sense of purpose is a great motivator in
the face of adversity. A great leader helps the team
remember the importance of the mission and guides them to
understand why it cannot stop even when things are not
going well. An effective leader knows that they owe a lot to
their team because they have given them the opportunity to
lead and have trusted them with being in charge and working
for them, and that is why great leaders will never remove
their eyes from the prize and forget about the mission. They
will do everything within their power to accomplish the goal
and to help everyone be part of these accomplishments.

7. Leaders Understand When To Be Emotional.
Great leaders know others look upon them with admiration
and looking for guidance, especially when times are tough,
and this is why they understand the importance of keeping
their emotions in check.
When employees see a leader that gets emotional and lets
those emotions rule their actions, they are afraid that this
person cannot be objective. Not being objective means that
you will not be able to make the best decisions, even if they
are unpopular, and therefore you will not be able to lead the
team through the most adequate course of action. Expressing
control and care is important in a time of crisis, but these
emotions should not be such a distraction that they will get in
the way of the mission.

8. Leaders Do Not Take Things Personal.
When so many factors and dynamics can affect the way
things go, it is important to know that logic doesn’t always
rule the outcome and that situations are not personal simply
if they don’t go your way. Great leaders remain calm and do
not get defensive because they understand that the mission,
the company and the overall team are much greater than
themselves and they know that leaders may change, but the
company must go on. A great leader knows that his ability to
make the best decisions will be clouded if they let issues to
close to their heart.