Are you a new leader, supervisor or manager in your organization? Are you anxious and reluctant to move forward because there are obstacles in the way? Do you fear that the road to success may be full of challenges for you and your team? Does it seem like the harder you work towards a goal, the more difficult the challenges become?
FACT!! If you are a person with dreams, goals and a vision for what you want to accomplish individually or with your team, you WILL encounter obstacles, difficulties and challenges which must be overcome. If your dream or goal is easy to achieve, it may not be truly worthy. If every goal were easily accomplished, everyone would achieve his/her dreams and live happily ever after……. Whoa!
Are you telling me that the road to success and goal achievement is going to be difficult?
Yes, I am! Any goal that is worthy, valuable and meaningful will be challenging to accomplish. It most likely will stretch you and demand effort beyond your normal range as well.
The legendary coach of UCLA Basketball, John Wooden had these wise words to say about challenges: “A man who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success.” “Don’t permit the fear of failure to prevent effort. We are all imperfect and will fail on occasion; but fear of failure is the greatest failure of all.”
Rather than procrastinating, worrying about the tough times ahead or what might go wrong, choose the attitude which shouts, ” I am committed to achieve my goals. I am aware that there will be challenges along the way… “Bring Them On! so that I can overcome them and move closer to my goals!”
You should welcome the the challenges as opportunities to move closer to your goal. John Wooden also said, “It is puzzling why people are so afraid of challenges which may lead to failure, when they are the only way to success.”
This concept of positive, enthusiastic welcoming of challenges requires a unique perspective and a special attitude not normally considered by most people. The embracing of challenges requires confidence, positive engagement and the investment of energy in appropriate measure to allow the leader to see challenges, not as daunting, impossible barriers, but, as scenarios consisting of projects to be understood and accomplished. The overcoming of obstacles will result in lessons learned which will build confidence in the leader and the team. As more challenges are successfully overcome, the competence of the leader and team members increases leading to greater capability for enhanced performance. The process gives everyone involved a sense of well being, enthusiasm and the understanding that goals are achieved by working together no matter the challenge.
Even if every goal is not achieved, the result of overcoming countless challenges is a sense of well-being, and the knowledge that while life is constantly placing obstacles in the pathway, these are the opportunities for us to grasp and learn from as we move closer to our next goal. When you realize and accept that the quest for improvement and the willingness to accept challenges will enhance your life, you will be successful. Be willing and enthusiastic to engage in the struggle; and if you do, you will be farther ahead and better than if you never take the first step toward your goal.
If you or your organization needs help in developing leaders with confidence, please contact LEAD with COURAGE, by calling 253 350-1503 or clicking on “Contact Us” on the LEAD with COURAGE website.
