As a leader, you will always face adversity. You will see it from your employees, coworkers, and even from people outside your organization. The real question is, “how will you handle it?” Will you run and hide, find a way around it, or face it head on? As the leader, you must be confident when you encounter adversity because everyone is watching. If you falter or show insecurity, people will lose trust and confidence in you as the leader.
Prepare for Adversity
So how do you prepare for adversity to handle it with ease? When I was in junior high and high school, I was always taught to plan how you will respond in a given situation before it ever occurs. If you plan out the scenario and determine how you will act, the decision will be a lot easier in the moment of adversity.
I followed this approach on many decisions including the decision to not use drugs. I made the decision at a young age that I would not use drugs. This made it very easy when I faced questions because I knew how to respond without having to think twice. I did not have to think about it in the moment or make a decision under peer pressure. This approach was very helpful.
Sources of Adversity
As leaders, this approach is also very useful when facing adversity. Adversity comes from many different leadership decisions, whether it is implementing a new program, changing an existing system, creating a new vision, or another change occurring, you must be prepared to handle it.
Run through different scenarios and determine how you will respond. Know how to answer questions as they come up. Also, prepare for worst case scenarios to prepare for anything that will come up. In addition, put yourself in the shoes of the other person. Think of the concerns they may have and determine how you will respond to those.
If you are prepared for adversity, you will be able to handle it with ease. You will be firm and steady for those you lead. They will see you as a strong leader that they can follow with confidence.
How do you handle adversity? Please share your thoughts and comments in the comments section below!