Leading Through A Crisis & Strengthening Your Resolve

A leader's first responsibility was usually to cast vision. but before you take people on a journey you need to assess your own life. leading you first means defining reality what does leadership look like in my life?  This ensures a clarity of direction and a clear picture of who you are and your sense of purpose before you lead others.

In order to lead you first you have to face whats in front of you -  what’s really happening in you as a leader. Understanding that you are the only person that can change what's within you is a powerful truth to navigate your destiny. praying that something will go away doesn’t automatically make it disappear. you have to be proactive. introspection is vital in order to lead you effectively. Your thoughts beliefs actions and truths need to be reflected on daily.

An empowered leader knows that as you take the reigns of what is yours to carry, you leave behind the overwhelming chaos that weighed you down and made you ineffective, trying to complete projects,  do marriage, parenting, partnering and business with bits and pieces of yourself all because you were too heavy laden.

In order to succeed at becoming the best effective you and leading you first you need to minimise the chaos and the trivialities that are making you ineffective. what is it that is not your responsibility and is weighing you down. you can only determine what is necessary and worthy of being in your life. when you make a concerted effort to choose what you want to respond to and what is not yours to attend to in your life, you start to value priorities and move towards an effective path.

Eventually you learn to understand through daily personal growth what is important for you in your life and you start to grow when you focus on yourself first building, evaluating and reflecting on your life.

Only you can release the irrelevant stuff,the stuff that’s not your responsibility you allow to cause you to be less effective. oftentimes we want to hold on to a relationship or a failing business, a dream, or something that’s just not working because as leaders the positive side of us often causes us to try one more time or maybe this time we will get the response we are expecting. Leaving behind destructive relationships or toxicity does not mean you are quitting. no, you have not lost the battle, you are merely preserving the strength god has given you for more valuable, powerful and effective people, business ventures, visions and encounters that will enhance your life as a leader.

Introspection involves taking inventory of your life.

Reflect, pause and look at what’s not working and define reality by realising that a change is necessary.

Are you determining your destiny? or are you building someone else’s?

Are you in control of your life?

Are you running your day or is your day running you?

The only person you have the power to change is you! leaders who are impacting lives are often maliciously frowned upon, criticised and slandered, if you are doing good in this world it is bound to happen! you can’t avoid it but you can control the effect it has on you. Leaders who are inspiring often love people and are adding value to people wanting the best for them. We need to guard against winning people’s approval though as this will only lead to impressing the crowd. people will always be dissatisfied, and that’s why defining reality and truth before casting vision are fundamentals of leadership.

People who disrespect your values, who don’t honour your purpose and standards are not worth you investing time and energy in.  Long drawn-out confrontations, unresolved issues and senseless arguments are exhausting. you need to conserve your energy for what is essential  to your calling and purpose.

Walk away from relationships that sap your energy, constant disagreements, strife, put downs and wanting to “people please” consumes you of everything you have within you. Knowing that you are valuable, you are committed to creating a life of success with positive outcomes, learning from failures, reflecting on difficult experiences and learning from them leads you on the path of effective growth to become the best person to lead you and eventually others.

Change is a necessary variable.

Leadership after covid has changed drastically and we often have to change how we think about change! Most of us hate change. often it's not that people hate change, it’s the manner in which we effect change! During covid, we were lost, we were on the same page globally facing one of the worst pandemics ever known to mankind. many of us wondered how we could ever ride this wave of the pandemic and become anxious of the unknown? We've all had to make difficult changes and choices that would impact our lives, organisations, our families and careers and leadership and change went hand in hand. It is in these circumstances that an effective leader stands out.

A time of adversity or crisis reveals what we are made of.

During a crisis, we could either cast blame or take responsibility for our part. We can make excuses, dwell in the actual tragedy of misery, destruction, depression or turmoil. an effective leader sits down to reflect on the crisis at hand, understands and accepts it is devastating and takes action. Faith without works is dead. Realising there is a problem that needs to be resolved and working towards practical solutions allows us to step into the next phase of proactivity and become effective.

An effective leader gives people hope by informing them and encouraging them in times of adversity but should not make hasty promises that can sometimes cause limitations or a breach of trust when they aren’t kept. An effective leader has compassion and integrity and empathises with people during a crisis.

As John Maxwell says leadership is influence nothing more, nothing less. what you as leader have within you always surfaces during a crisis. integrity, wisdom, compassion, confidence, vulnerability, joy and intuition which come from the previous learned experiences of the life of an influential, wise leader. What you’ve been through rises and with it rises courage, strength, resilience and grit. You have what it takes to lead through a crisis!