Dealing With Adversity

Dealing with Adversity

By Steve Farber , business speaker and author

At some time or another, for example, you have reported to bosses or people in positions of ‘greater authority’ who are self centred at best and idiotically egotistical at worst. They took all the credit and none of the blame, and could care less whether or no you succeeded or failed.
You may have spent some amount of time and energy navigating your way through challenges that come from trying to lead in those conditions. It is just the price you pay for being a manager.
Now, add to that the current implosion in the economy, and it is easy to see why , with all your efforts to be a positive, productive leader , you still get knocked down from time to time.
Your knee-jerk reaction in times of crisis is to hold tighter, to be more cautious in your actions, and more protective of your resources.
There is, however, a much more powerful course of action, which – though counter intuitive in these hyper-competitive times – is based on a timeless reality of true leadership.
Your own greatness as a leader lies, paradoxically, in your ability to cause others to be greater than yourself.
Said another way, your best way out of leadership challenge or crisis is NOT to focus on your own peril or rut but, instead, to reach out and try to boost someone else over your head.
Instead of wallowing in your own despair, pick someone at work to invest in, with the intent of making that person greater that you.
Be a coach, guide or mentor in the truest, most personal sense of the words by choosing someone to be your GTY (Greater Than Yourself) project, and see what that does to your own predicament, your own state of mind.
And don’t be surprised if – through your example- your whole organisation, company or team rises to establish itself as the new gold standard of leadership.

Read the full article here
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My view maybe different from others who read in this article.To me,it really opened my eyes on what is true leadership. In reality ,I know it's a rarity to see such leadership style. Fortunately for me ,I do see leaders embarking these GTY project in my union life. They asked us to take up responsibility, task and guiding us how to a good or great leaders. My branch chairman get my special mention here.
Mr Anbalagan s/o Veeramuthu
He's not highly educated but nevertheless a fiery union leader.Always full of confidence when leading our meetings with the management. I doubt he reads books on leadership like us the younger ones but that does'nt deter him in showing a very strong leadership character and willingness to impart his skills. One who is not afraid to hand over leadership but fearing instead of whom is capable enough to succeed.
A rarity but not impossible to find one.