Lesson 9- Reading #4

Your Own Special Providence a Selection

...Leadership in any context comes with ...adversity.  Fate seems, at times, to single out the leader for testing, as it if wants to know whether that leader is strong enough, resilient enough to be the one trusted with leadership.

Early on I had come to believe that events in life usually work out as they should, for a reason, even if that reason is not readily apparent.  Perhaps it was because of my faith, the example of my parents, or my own experiences along the way.  I don't know exactly why, but I began accepting what fate offered and tried to make the best of the situation -- to move forward with optimism and the determination to make the most of the hand i was dealt, whether it was good or bad.

...

Those who prevail look fate in the eye and say, "Welcome," and then move ahead without complaint, excuse, or whining.  While we can't control fate, we are --or should be--able to control our response to it.  In leadership, your response becomes crucially important, because ultimately it is the response of your organization.

When you have found an excuse to let up or quit, so will your team.  When you press on with enthusiasm regardless of the circumstance, your organization --if you have chosen good people and taught them well--will follow you as you continue to fight on.  Quit or fight?  It's the leader who decides...

As a coach...I tried hard to avoid letting those things I couldn't control affect the things I could control.  In more than nine decades I have yet to control fate.  Neither have you, I'm sure.

Prepare to the utmost your ability; teach your team to do the same.  Ignore the fates with the sure knowledge that adversity will only make you and your team stronger if you resist self-pity.  How you handle bad luck, setbacks, and the vagaries of the competitive environment is one of the major differences between the champion and the also-ran.  Be a realistic optimist and remind yourself that things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.