If leadership was all about controlling others, everyone would train to do it. Upon closer observation, leadership is about sacrifice and bearing the weight of others.The wolf leading the pack is often the last in line, and the last to eat. Leaders do not thrive in telling people what to do. Instead they go on in sacrificing themselves for the greater good of those who follow them.

Defining Leadership

<ol><li>Resilience: This is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to change.</li></ol>In the theory of evolution we see the species who survive are not those who are the strongest, but instead those who can adapt the fastest. In other words, those which are resilient.2. Inspiration: Inspiration: The Greek word is inspirare, which means to breathe into.The word is closely linked to life because when we are inspired it causes action, and often makes us feel alive.

The Two Attributes of Great Leaders

Great leaders use inspiration and resilience together by inspiring resilience in their teams. They do this by: 1. Sympathising with their team members - Letting their team know they have been through it.2. Being open when they are struggling - Shows they are human.3. Constantly reminding their team of the goal - Lets the team understand their wider purpose.4. Repeadtedly showing up in times of need - being reliable.5. Displaying their successes as a team effort - Not taking all the credit.

5 Ways to Inspire Resilience as a Leader

<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">Inspiration</h2><figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/0*3HgCeepv5m851FwC" width="680" height="453"><figcaption class="ie if cz cx cy ig ih ce b fr cg ea" data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@productschool?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ck ii" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Product School</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=medium&amp;utm_medium=referral" class="ck ii" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure>It is coming up to eight years since I first expressed interest in the quality of leadership. My mentor at the time told me about a leadership program that a group was running. It was going to take four years to equip me with a Masters in leadership. Whilst ensuring I had the skills to lead.I was only 13 at the time, but every leader up to that point in my life were bad examples. The only leaders I had in my life were my school teachers, and they always seemed to abuse their authority. They never let me think outside the box or contribute to their ideas.I was not the best-behaved student in school, but I always felt trapped in a box. And although it is the teacher’s job to teach the curriculum, it seemed rigid. So I ended up not liking school and also those in control of it.So, when I got the opportunity to learn about leadership, I was over the moon. At the age of 13, I thought all leaders tell people what to do and plan things the way they wanted to. With this in mind, I happily took on the four-year course with goals to become a better leader than all my leaders.I pictured myself becoming the best leader ever. Everyone would follow me because I was revolutionary. I would change the way leadership was done and inspire people who came after me.Well, it only took about a month into the course to throw my childhood dreams away. I quickly realised that leadership was more than just telling people what to do. However, I still had big goals to inspire leaders, and that is why I repeatedly write on the topic.It has been four years since I have graduated from the course, and I am still learning every day. The training did equip me with skills to lead, but it did not make me the leader I wanted to become. I am still trying to find that through learning from other great leaders.The more I learn about leadership, is the more I realise how far I am from being where I want to be. And that is not a bad thing. I enjoy knowing that I still have a lot of growing to do.As I continue to form my philosophy, I have noticed two things that all leaders I look up to had/have. And those two qualities are resilience and inspiration. In all great leaders, these two qualities were married together. And it is through combining these two qualities they became great examples.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">The Importance of Resilience</h1>Movies always depict leaders as controlling and living an easy life. It appears that all leaders need to do is delegate whilst they sit on their high chairs. But leadership is nothing like that. And those who have experienced it will know exactly what I am talking about.Resilience is a word that I did not come across until late in the program. <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Resilience is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to change.</a> We see the quality of resilience on display in <a href="https://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html#:~:text=What%20is%20Darwin%27s%20Theory%20of%20Evolution%3F&amp;text=The%20theory%20of%20evolution%20by,heritable%20physical%20or%20behavioral%20traits." rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.</a>The theory concludes that species that survive are not those who are the strongest. But instead, those who can adapt the fastest. And that is resilience, the ability to overcome setbacks. So why do good leaders have this quality?Well, leadership is less about telling people what to do and more about bearing the weight. Simon Sinek highlights this idea in his book <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others/dp/0670923168" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Leaders Eat Last.</a> Leaders are both responsible and accountable for their teams. And being in that position means that they will often have to bear a heavier load.When the team is underperforming everyone looks to the leader for answers. It is a hard position to be in, and it requires resilience to bounce back from setbacks that the team encounters.The hardest part about all of this is that the team look to their leaders to show resilience. Sometimes, the leader may not be feeling very resilient, but it is up to them to lead the way.When difficult decisions have to be made, it is up to the leader to demonstrate resilience. Especially when the team is feeling low and demotivated. It is their responsibility to ensure they give the right energy.For leaders, resilience allows them to stick through the tough times and bounce back from challenges. It is essential to realise that leaders do not do this for themselves. They do it for their team.So, leadership requires resilience because leaders often bear the weight of the team. That is not to say that the people do not give support to their leaders. However, the performance of everyone inevitably depends on its leadership. And without resilience, it is fair to say that many great leaders would have crumbled.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">The Importance of Inspiration</h1><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inspiration" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">Inspiration comes from the Greek word inspirare</a>, which means to breathe into. The word has a close link to life, and often when we are inspired we feel alive. Inspiration is never stagnant. It always causes us to want to do something.I remember when I watched Stephen Curry for the first time. It inspired me to play basketball and shoot just like him. Of course, I never got to his level, but inspiration is not about attaining what you were inspired by. Instead, it is about feeling the urge to want to take action.We tend to develop role models that inspire us. Unfortunately, the question as to why we get inspired is still unanswered.<a href="https://hbr.org/2011/11/why-inspiration-matters#:~:text=role%20of%20inspiration.-,Inspiration%20awakens%20us%20to%20new%20possibilities%20by%20allowing%20us%20to,because%20of%20its%20elusive%20nature." rel="noopener" dir="ltr"> Nevertheless, it plays an essential role in our lives when it comes to being productive and increasing our sense of meaning.</a>You will find that many of your role models inspire you in some way. Even if they are in a completely different field to you, they cause you to want to act in a way that mirrors their actions. Or at least think about what they would do when faced with challenges.Great leaders like Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln all had one thing in common. They inspired those whom they led. And that led them to become role models we all learn about in our education system.Good leaders speak and act in a way that causes us to act. And all good leaders should seek to inspire their team or followers to act in a way that they would. It puts a lot of pressure on the leader to uphold company policy, good moral or positive attitude. But when a leader does these things, it breathes life into their team to follow in their footsteps.Leaders who do not inspire their team will struggle to get anything from them. Like children who do not want to go to school, the leader will need to drag their team with them. And this does nothing but drain all the energy from both the team and the leader.The best position for any leader to be in is to have a team who desire to follow them. And you only get this through inspiring your team.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Marrying Inspiration and Resilience</h1>At the beginning of this article, I highlighted that great leaders do not use these two things interchangeably. What we often see is leaders demonstrating resilience at times of difficulty. And then inspiration at times where their teams are down.That is not the worst outcome, but it is not the best either. And good leaders understand that to keep their team going there must be a constant stream of both. And how good leaders do this is by bringing the two together. Through their actions and words, good leaders constantly inspire resilience.Leaders inspire resilience by doing two important things. The first is by being vulnerable and open with their team. By doing this, leaders make it clear that their weaknesses are not things they fear. But instead, something they overcome. And the team can only see this when leaders leave themselves open.When we only display our victories, we make everyone around us think life is easy. Not only that, we paint an unrealistic picture of ourselves. Leaders tend to mistakenly believe that their team look to them to be perfect human beings. They feel it is the only way to gain their respect and co-operation. But this is not the case.Their team is looking to them for ways to handle difficulties. By acting as though there are no challenges, it presents a superhero leader who appears to be superior in every way. And that does nothing but distant leaders from their team.Good leaders understand that by putting their failures on display, they show they are human too. A special connection with the team is born this way. So, when leaders do overcome their challenges, the team triumph with them. And resilience is inspired in all.The second is to guide the team through hard steps. In other words, show sympathy.When you are climbing a mountain with a team, you often have to help someone get over the part you managed to get up. As the leader, your role is to identify those parts and assists the team.At any moment, someone in your team could be going through a difficult time. That may be trying to hit a deadline or learning a new skill. Whatever it is, leaders can inspire resilience by taking time out to sympathise with them. Sympathy means acknowledging and relating to someone else’s feelings.The best way to sympathise with someone is to let them know you have been through what they are going through. And then highlight that it is possible to overcome because you were able to do it. Then, you let them know you are always there to support them if they need anything else.By doing this, you inspire the person to try their best to overcome. And you also install resilience by letting them know that there is a way to turn their challenges around.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Closing Thoughts</h1>If you are a leader, I hope you continue to inspire resilience in those you come across. You can do this by being vulnerable, displaying your victories and sympathising with your team.For those who are not leaders and just read this for fun, you can take something away too. Begin to inspire resilience in your own life by doing those three things with yourself. Learn to accept your shortcomings, but never forget that you can overcome them.I find it easier to inspire resilience in myself by looking back at times when I overcame challenges.Then, sympathise by being kind to yourself. We tend to be harder on ourselves than we are on others. However, when we learn that we are only human like everyone else, we will begin our journey to our best selves.So, whoever you are and whatever you do. Begin inspiring resilience in your life and the life of others.

Leadership is difficult, but there are many great leaders from the past we can learn from. Here are two attributes I have found great leaders always posses.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

It is coming up to eight years since I first expressed interest in the quality of leadership. My mentor at the time told me about a leadership program that a group was running. It was going to take four years to equip me with a Masters in leadership. Whilst ensuring I had the skills to lead.

I was only 13 at the time, but every leader up to that point in my life were bad examples. The only leaders I had in my life were my school teachers, and they always seemed to abuse their authority. They never let me think outside the box or contribute to their ideas.

I was not the best-behaved student in school, but I always felt trapped in a box. And although it is the teacher’s job to teach the curriculum, it seemed rigid. So I ended up not liking school and also those in control of it.

So, when I got the opportunity to learn about leadership, I was over the moon. At the age of 13, I thought all leaders tell people what to do and plan things the way they wanted to. With this in mind, I happily took on the four-year course with goals to become a better leader than all my leaders.

I pictured myself becoming the best leader ever. Everyone would follow me because I was revolutionary. I would change the way leadership was done and inspire people who came after me.

Well, it only took about a month into the course to throw my childhood dreams away. I quickly realised that leadership was more than just telling people what to do. However, I still had big goals to inspire leaders, and that is why I repeatedly write on the topic.

It has been four years since I have graduated from the course, and I am still learning every day. The training did equip me with skills to lead, but it did not make me the leader I wanted to become. I am still trying to find that through learning from other great leaders.

The more I learn about leadership, is the more I realise how far I am from being where I want to be. And that is not a bad thing. I enjoy knowing that I still have a lot of growing to do.

As I continue to form my philosophy, I have noticed two things that all leaders I look up to had/have. And those two qualities are resilience and inspiration. In all great leaders, these two qualities were married together. And it is through combining these two qualities they became great examples.

Movies always depict leaders as controlling and living an easy life. It appears that all leaders need to do is delegate whilst they sit on their high chairs. But leadership is nothing like that. And those who have experienced it will know exactly what I am talking about.

Resilience is a word that I did not come across until late in the program. <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience" rel="noopener">Resilience is the ability to recover from or adjust easily to change. </a>We see the quality of resilience on display in <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html#:~:text=What%20is%20Darwin%27s%20Theory%20of%20Evolution%3F&amp;text=The%20theory%20of%20evolution%20by,heritable%20physical%20or%20behavioral%20traits." rel="noopener">Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. </a>

The theory concludes that species that survive are not those who are the strongest. But instead, those who can adapt the fastest. And that is resilience, the ability to overcome setbacks. So why do good leaders have this quality?

Well, leadership is less about telling people what to do and more about bearing the weight. Simon Sinek highlights this idea in his book <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others/dp/0670923168" rel="noopener">Leaders Eat Last. </a>Leaders are both responsible and accountable for their teams. And being in that position means that they will often have to bear a heavier load.

When the team is underperforming everyone looks to the leader for answers. It is a hard position to be in, and it requires resilience to bounce back from setbacks that the team encounters.

The hardest part about all of this is that the team look to their leaders to show resilience. Sometimes, the leader may not be feeling very resilient, but it is up to them to lead the way.

When difficult decisions have to be made, it is up to the leader to demonstrate resilience. Especially when the team is feeling low and demotivated. It is their responsibility to ensure they give the right energy.

For leaders, resilience allows them to stick through the tough times and bounce back from challenges. It is essential to realise that leaders do not do this for themselves. They do it for their team.

So, leadership requires resilience because leaders often bear the weight of the team. That is not to say that the people do not give support to their leaders. However, the performance of everyone inevitably depends on its leadership. And without resilience, it is fair to say that many great leaders would have crumbled.

<a dir="ltr" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inspiration" rel="noopener">Inspiration comes from the Greek word inspirare </a>, which means to breathe into. The word has a close link to life, and often when we are inspired we feel alive. Inspiration is never stagnant. It always causes us to want to do something.

I remember when I watched Stephen Curry for the first time. It inspired me to play basketball and shoot just like him. Of course, I never got to his level, but inspiration is not about attaining what you were inspired by. Instead, it is about feeling the urge to want to take action.

We tend to develop role models that inspire us. Unfortunately, the question as to why we get inspired is still unanswered.<a dir="ltr" href="https://hbr.org/2011/11/why-inspiration-matters#:~:text=role%20of%20inspiration.-,Inspiration%20awakens%20us%20to%20new%20possibilities%20by%20allowing%20us%20to,because%20of%20its%20elusive%20nature." rel="noopener">Nevertheless, it plays an essential role in our lives when it comes to being productive and increasing our sense of meaning. </a>

You will find that many of your role models inspire you in some way. Even if they are in a completely different field to you, they cause you to want to act in a way that mirrors their actions. Or at least think about what they would do when faced with challenges.

Great leaders like Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln all had one thing in common. They inspired those whom they led. And that led them to become role models we all learn about in our education system.

Good leaders speak and act in a way that causes us to act. And all good leaders should seek to inspire their team or followers to act in a way that they would. It puts a lot of pressure on the leader to uphold company policy, good moral or positive attitude. But when a leader does these things, it breathes life into their team to follow in their footsteps.

Leaders who do not inspire their team will struggle to get anything from them. Like children who do not want to go to school, the leader will need to drag their team with them. And this does nothing but drain all the energy from both the team and the leader.

The best position for any leader to be in is to have a team who desire to follow them. And you only get this through inspiring your team.

At the beginning of this article, I highlighted that great leaders do not use these two things interchangeably. What we often see is leaders demonstrating resilience at times of difficulty. And then inspiration at times where their teams are down.

That is not the worst outcome, but it is not the best either. And good leaders understand that to keep their team going there must be a constant stream of both. And how good leaders do this is by bringing the two together. Through their actions and words, good leaders constantly inspire resilience.

Leaders inspire resilience by doing two important things. The first is by being vulnerable and open with their team.By doing this, leaders make it clear that their weaknesses are not things they fear. But instead, something they overcome. And the team can only see this when leaders leave themselves open.

When we only display our victories, we make everyone around us think life is easy. Not only that, we paint an unrealistic picture of ourselves. Leaders tend to mistakenly believe that their team look to them to be perfect human beings. They feel it is the only way to gain their respect and co-operation. But this is not the case.

Their team is looking to them for ways to handle difficulties. By acting as though there are no challenges, it presents a superhero leader who appears to be superior in every way. And that does nothing but distant leaders from their team.

Good leaders understand that by putting their failures on display, they show they are human too. A special connection with the team is born this way. So, when leaders do overcome their challenges, the team triumph with them. And resilience is inspired in all.

The second is to guide the team through hard steps. In other words, show sympathy.

When you are climbing a mountain with a team, you often have to help someone get over the part you managed to get up. As the leader, your role is to identify those parts and assists the team.

At any moment, someone in your team could be going through a difficult time. That may be trying to hit a deadline or learning a new skill. Whatever it is, leaders can inspire resilience by taking time out to sympathise with them. Sympathy means acknowledging and relating to someone else’s feelings.

The best way to sympathise with someone is to let them know you have been through what they are going through. And then highlight that it is possible to overcome because you were able to do it. Then, you let them know you are always there to support them if they need anything else.

By doing this, you inspire the person to try their best to overcome. And you also install resilience by letting them know that there is a way to turn their challenges around.

If you are a leader, I hope you continue to inspire resilience in those you come across. You can do this by being vulnerable, displaying your victories and sympathising with your team.

For those who are not leaders and just read this for fun, you can take something away too. Begin to inspire resilience in your own life by doing those three things with yourself. Learn to accept your shortcomings, but never forget that you can overcome them.

I find it easier to inspire resilience in myself by looking back at times when I overcame challenges.

Then, sympathise by being kind to yourself. We tend to be harder on ourselves than we are on others. However, when we learn that we are only human like everyone else, we will begin our journey to our best selves.

So, whoever you are and whatever you do. Begin inspiring resilience in your life and the life of others.

The Two Attributes of Any Great Leader

Defining Leadership

The Two Attributes of Great Leaders

5 Ways to Inspire Resilience as a Leader

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