It is easy to be a leader in the good times. When there are no problems or conflicts there is nothing challenging you or forcing you to change and grow. However, the best leaders are able to thrive through struggles and adversity.
A great example of a leader that thrived in struggles and adversity is Nelson Mandela.
The nelsonmandela.org website discusses his life and influence. Mandela was a great leader in South Africa who worked to help the country get out from under the previous government’s hold. He was very involved in the country's politics and he consistently worked to begin the necessary changes. He helped with protests, strikes, and led an armed struggle.
For his actions, Mandela was jailed multiple times with the final time being for twenty-four years. Once he was finally released, he immediately threw himself back into the political field.
Four years after leaving prison, Mandela became the first democratically elected president of South Africa. “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” Quote by Nelson Mandela from his speech from the Dock on April 20, 1964.
A large part of what made Mandela such a great leader was all the troubles his country was going through. If there had been better leaders in power, he might not have gotten into politics or made it as far as he did.
Even after being in prison for a large part of his adult life, every time he was released, he would be in the midst of things once more, attempting to make positive changes. Mandela's motivation to make things better for his people was his driving force but the trials that he went through only amplified his results.
In your own life, you will witness many leaders. Most of them will go through struggles and adversity. Some of the problems will be because of their leadership position while other issues could be caused by personal or other problems. The best leaders will thrive and make it through these tribulations while the weaker leaders will not.
In your own life, while you are in the midst of troubles, it can be very tempting to quit or give up.
However, consider those in your life who need you to be strong and continue on. Your family, friends, and coworkers rely on you, to some degree. If you are in a leadership position, it is especially important that you continue on. Use the tribulations to your benefit. Allow them to inspire you to keep working and press on harder.
When looking at history, the most revered leaders were noticed in times of trouble. Wars and other political problems help bring out the best leaders to the foreground as they deal with problems that have possibly never occurred prior to that moment.
Mandela is a great example of this. In different circumstances, he might have been just a normal guy. The world might have never known his name.
Life will always provide difficulties and new problems.
The best thing to do is to keep moving forward and working hard. Look at the leaders in your life and see how they deal with struggles. What do they do when new problems arrive? Some people have more experience with handling difficulties but it can always be good to see what others would do in your place and how to strive through struggles and adversity.
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