S-T-C Tuesday: Principles of Leaders Who Last Part 4: Play the Long Game
Scripture
“But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)
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
Principle #4: Play The Long Game
The fourth principle of leaders who last is they play the long game. Every leader who possesses any longevity at all, has had to submit short term outcomes for long term gains. The ability to endure for a period of time, in order to thrive in the future.
A leader who lasts, knows that in order to truly win, they first must lose. Losing is essential to becoming a winner. It is in the chapters that don’t make sense, the experiences that feel really insignificant, and the opportunities that seem like a loss at first where we realize essential traits are being formed IN us.
Character, perseverance, hope.
Playing the long game isn’t about hoping for a big break “someday.” We’re not making the most of the present, so that some outcome falls in our hands in the future. We’re making the most of the present because we know the present develops us.
If we’re going to continue to emerge into the type of transformational leaders we are capable of becoming, we must commit to the path of marginal gains. We must commit to the long game.
Short-term results stroke our ego. Long term results develop our character. We often overestimate what we can accomplish in one year and underestimate what we can accomplish in ten years.
Steady, marginal progress over a decade is the path of the long game. The best indicator of future success is character. Character is the most transferrable skill from season to season in life and it is being formed - every single day.