From Smart to Wise: Acting and Leading with Wisdom

Cultivating Flexible Fortitude

The good news is that you can learn to cultivate flexible fortitude even if you are deeply rooted in your habits. We have seen many leaders build flexible fortitude by harnessing the strength of their noble purpose, managing their energy selectively, using flexibility to combat complexity, and demonstrating fortitude as a team effort.

Harness Your Noble Purpose

In a significant study published in 1998, psychologist Roy Baumeister and his research partners reported that willpower is like a muscle and can be easily fatigued.²¹ In their book Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, Baumeister and John Tierney explain how willpower is not only a nonrenewable resource but also a limited resource that can ...