Scripture
“Let us not grow weary in doing well, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9)
Thought
Over the month of November we’re going to take a deep dive into the principles of leaders who last. Back in January we released the book Stay The Course: Five Transformational Principles of Leaders Who Last. If you haven’t picked up a copy, this month will be a great time to do so. (There are also hours of bonus video content available for FREE with the book as well as our guided workbook with team discussion questions.)
In this book, we study sixteen elite leaders and their path to the top of their profession. What we uncover is that their journey often looks the same as yours and mine. Full of setbacks, delays, frustrations, rejection and failure. It takes a rare mentality to stay the course in leadership life. In the month of November, we will unpack the five principles to build the stay the course mentality and get a running start on the year 2022.
Principle #2: Just Keep Showing Up
A leader who lasts knows that just merely stating a goal doesn’t mean there’s progress made. We know we must embrace humble beginnings but the next principle of leaders who stay on their transformational journey is the ability to keep answering the call.
Every single day there is a call on your life as a leader. We’ve talked in the past that the toughest person for you to lead is - you. Everyday in our transformational journeys we go toe-to-toe with our ego, our tendency to remain complacent, our ability to deflect blame for the things in our lives we know we want to change.
On top of our internal resistance, we also face the real struggle of leading. The extreme challenge it is to get a group of people to commit to something beyond themselves. The managing of personalities, objectives, conflict, and opportunities. The criticism aimed right at us - even the unfair criticism that hurts.
The truth is it would be much easier to not have to do any of this at all. It would be far more enjoyable to blend in the crowd, not have any responsibility at all, and not worry about transforming daily into a better leader.
But a leader who lasts remains in the fight. Though we may want to escape it for a brief period of time, something keeps bringing us back. Deep down you know you were meant for this struggle. Even the most accomplished leaders have bouts of complete despair from time to time. But they don’t quit - and neither should you. What would the world be missing if you decided to quit?
The results will be what they may, just keep showing up. Keep serving, keep growing, keep staying engaged in the process. Your breakthrough may come on the hardest day you’ve ever had.
Good things take time. Don’t quit!