“He was not born a king of men ... but a child of the common people, who made himself a great persuader, therefore a leader by dint of firm resolve, patient effort and dogged perseverance ... he was open to all impressions and influences and gladly profited by the teachings of events and circumstances no matter how adverse of unwelcome. There was probably no year when he was not a wiser, cooler, and better man than he had been the year preceding.”

~

-Horace Greeley, on Abraham Lincoln-

Probably no leader in our country’s history overcame more obstacles than Abraham Lincoln. He profited from many to become the 16th president of the United States. No event he faced was fruitless, there was a lesson to be learned.

In our high-tech, fast-paced, rapidly changing world, adversity is hitting us at speeds significantly faster than ever. This leaves us with  little time to respond and arms us with far too few tools for controlling our responses in a productive manner. When an individual lacks the tools to handle challenges, it’s easy for a person to become frustrated, averse to risk, and afraid. These  attributes aren’t becoming to a successful leader.

Like Lincoln, business leaders today must be prepared to face, overcome, and learn from adversity. Creating a culture with that same attitude is a must. This approach will help leaders and their organizations not only survive, but thrive in these highly turbulent times. Developing leaders like this is a new form of gaining a competitive advantage.

Four proactive steps successful business leaders can initiate

• Create a Culture of Acceptance & Acknowledgment – First key for any great leader to do is accept that adversity is going to strike. Negative things are going to happen so be prepared, don’t be alarmed, and/or frustrated. Next, they must acknowledge that adversity is meant to occur, and hence leveraged to advantage. We tend to learn the greatest lessons when adversity strikes, that is if our mindset is right. The fact is, adversity is placed in our lives for us to evolve. Any great leader realizes this and leveraged his situations to his/her advantage. It is how an organization’s leaders are developed and an organization grows.

• Prepare People to Succeed – Making an investment in employees is crucial. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities is a must. Relevant training in these jobs is critical. There must not be any grey areas regarding expectations, along with skills to help employees meet them. The more a leader can prepare their team for their respective roles, the more successful the organization will become. When some employee lack relevant skills to do their jobs, they will struggle. They don’t have the skills to thrive daily, let alone when adversity strikes. One of the highest costs for any organization is turnover, miss-hires, and/or unhappy employees. Investment in people is a must.

• Encourage People to Learn from Failure – The only way an organization can learn, and grow is for it to be willing to attempt the unthinkable. A great leader encourages such an environment. Failure is not an organization’s worst result, stagnation is. Properly preparing people alleviates this problem. By educating employees, they learn that adversity, failure, change, and conflict can paradoxically be catalysts for positive things. This helps people evolve into the employees and leaders they were born to be and is a game changer for organizations.

• Create a Culture of Reflection – The key to handling an adverse situation is to learn from it. Organizations must be prepared to be reflective so a history is built, lessons are learned and leveraged effectively. This can come in the form of debriefing sales calls as well as adhering to strong professional development plans for employees along with consistent performance reviews.

A leader who can incorporate these four foundational pillars will create for their organization a  competitive advantage, along with a culture where employees want to work.

About Steve Gavatorta

Steve Gavatorta, author of the newly released book In Defense of Adversity – Turning Your Toughest Challenges Into Your Greatest Success is also owner of the Steve Gavatorta Group He specializes in empowering individuals and organizations in identifying, developing, and exceeding performance goals. From small businesses on the move to Fortune 500 companies, Steve collaborates with organizations to build foundations, set goals, and eclipse their highest potential. Your can reach him at 813-908-1343, steve@gavatorta.com or www.gavatorta.com.