The Transformational Leader

23The Art of Cultivating Resilience and Grit

Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals.

Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day-in, day-out.

Not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years.

And working really hard to make that future a reality.

Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.

—Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth

LEADERSHIP IS FAR from a straightforward journey. While it's tempting to fixate on the perks, recognition, and prestige that accompany leadership roles, doing so overshadows an underlying responsibility: steering teams through storms of adversity. But how can we inspire greatness, maintain focus, and champion progress when the world is spinning out of control?

Take a step back to 2019. Globally, we navigated challenges like climate change, political upheavals, and societal shifts. Yes, these issues were significant, but they were hurdles we'd encountered. Then, 2020 marked a seismic shift. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the world's rhythm and made even the familiar foreign. Leaders worldwide found themselves at a crossroads, facing the daunting task of crafting responses to an ever-evolving crisis, the repercussions of which resonated far beyond national borders.

The truth is that 2020 was a year of profound disarray. It was humanity's reckoning, akin to a disoriented child lost in the forest. Leaders were thrust into the spotlight, grappling with the pivotal question, “What's our next ...