John Maxwell wrote the following in a recent "Leadership Wired" email I received:Successful people do not have less challenging lives than those who do not succeed. In fact, they may go through even greater challenges. What causes the separation? Successful people respond to difficulties differently.
It’s easy to have a great attitude when things are going our way. Attitude doesn’t become the difference maker until challenges arise. In this edition of Leadership Wired, we’ll look at “The Big 5,” a list of the top challenges experienced by leaders, and we’ll discuss steps to develop an appropriate attitude toward each challenge.
THE BIG 5
1. Discouragement
Over the course of my life, I’ve discovered that every leader gets discouraged. Plans fail, dreams drift out of range, or goals suffer setbacks. However, not every leader responds to discouragement the same way. Attitude dictates whether a discouraged leader will give up or get up.
Dealing Effectively With Discouragement
(1) Get the Right Perspective.
Seldom are circumstances as bad as they feel in the darkest moments. Try to put hard times in the proper perspective by distancing from them emotionally.
(2) See the Right People.
Relationships either build us up or tear us down. Leaders surround themselves with encouragers who lend support and lift the load.
(3) Say the Right Words.
Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, says this in his excellent work, Spiritual Depression, Its Cause and Cure: “Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself.” Thoughts stream into our minds beyond our control. Instead of succumbing to whichever thoughts happen to pop into our heads, we can purposefully fix our minds on the positive.
I'll share the rest of the Big 5 challenges in the coming days.
1 comment:
One of my newest and favorite rubber stamps reads "God's promises are like the stars. The darker the night, the brighter they shine."
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