Most often we hear and read about leaders who are enjoying great success. Leading when things are going smoothly and riding the momentum built from winning or a robust bottom line is relatively uneventful.
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times
There are the normal issues to be addressed in these winning circumstances such as over-confidence, complacency, selfishness, lacking urgency on and off the field, and the mindset that winning is easy and automatic. These are issues to be aware of and addressed by leadership.
Team members are much more responsive to guidance, wisdom, criticism, and the process during these times of harvest. This is especially true if the majority of team members have traveled the hard road of few wins and successes while adhering to the process and action steps.
By staying the course and trudging the narrow path, these team members build mental toughness, endurance, durability, determination, and the persistence necessary for achievement.
Seeing success after the long, hard road provides fertile ground for growth. As Scripture says, “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life.” “Life” can just as well mean goal, achievement, or joy. It is also stated in Galatians 6:9, “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”
During the times of few successes, however, many leaders fumble. They lose not only passion, but vision, confidence, and belief in their own process.
The Commitment of a Great Leader
So how do great leaders maintain control of the ball and stay focused on the vision and the common goal they initiated?
- The first thing great leaders understand is that the process and action steps they provided team members must continually be evaluated to ensure they are providing forward movement to the destination.
- When it is obvious action steps will not reach the goal, they should not change the vision or goal – but adjust the action steps in the process.
- Continue to create a positive culture and emphasize small victories in the grueling, grinding process to maintain passion.
- Positivity and passion are contagious. Preach to team members that champions find joy in the process. Joy is defined as the passion or emotion excited by the acquisition of good.
I am a firm believer that in order to achieve greatness you must forget greatness and be great in the process!
Great leaders are like great ball carriers in football. They hold onto the vision and the goal and don’t fumble when they get hit hard from all angles. They move forward with the ball secured…even if it is inch by inch.
