What leadership theory can teach us about dealing with tough times

The last few months have been challenging. Concerns around the well-being of my Mum, family health issues, distressing news about a former employer and the impact on friends and colleagues I care deeply about. Challenges in life often seem to converge at the same time and test our internal fortitude and resilience.I know I’m not alone. Everyone experiences this, and sometimes much worse. But it has made me take stock and think about the best way to cope when these things happen. At times of personal or professional adversity, it’s not unusual for us all to experience a moment of doubt about whether we’re up to the challenges before us.I was talking about this to a colleague who reminded me that many of the coping mechanisms that I’ve employed in these situations are very similar to the leadership philosophy that we teach our managers at IBM. It’s called Positive Leadership Edge. I wanted to share some of these principles, given I’ve found them so useful.The first aspect is around adapting a growth mindset that embraces continuous learning and development. Personal growth is at the heart of our journey as people – experience, learn, adapt, grow and repeat. IBM’s CEO and Chairman, Ginni Rometty, is fond of saying that, “growth and comfort do not coexist”. What makes us uncomfortable can help us to grow, but only if we come armed with the right mindset to embrace the discomfit and learn from it.The next element, and possibly the most difficult to achieve, is the ability to cultivate personal resilience. It’s especially difficult when feel like you’re at your lowest point to dig deeper and bring positive energy into your life, your work and your engagement with others.Many successful entrepreneurs will tell you that the path to their success is lined with multiple failures. But without that sense of personal resiliency that allows them to bounce back and gives them confidence in their ability to eventually break through, many would have never eventually succeeded. Thomas Watson Senior founded the company that would eventually become IBM well into his 40s and after several other moderately successful ventures. He eventually went on to become one of the most famous businesspeople of his age.Engagement and inclusion, which is underpinned by a belief that, “I believe, I belong, and I matter” is the third part of Positive Leadership Edge. Inclusion has been a deeply held belief of mine since I was a child. My experience growing up within the British class system has always made me feel that everyone has value, regardless of the circumstances of your birth. Cultivating that belief, in yourself and others, that you belong and have something to contribute allows you and others to show up with confidence and courage, and as the best version of yourself.The fourth element is agility, but you could also substitute respect, openness, empathy or courage. It’s no accident that the heroes and heroines that we all admire in books and film all have these characteristics. These are the personal attributes that we admire in others, especially when those individuals have risen up and triumphed against adversity. I read a lot, and one of my favourite books is a biography on Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore. So impressed am I in his journey and how he displayed respect, openness, empathy or courage, that I make it habit to give this book as a thank you gift whenever someone displays these characteristics.The final aspect of positive leadership edge is transparency and trust. It’s the bedrock upon which all lasting relationships are built. But if you look deeper into this, you see that it’s about creating the psychological safety that encourages people to be open and honest in what they share, and to be able to give their trust with confidence. When you’re challenged or facing a difficult personal situation, trust is just about the only thing that will make you feel that you’re not on your own – trust in your friends, your family, or a colleague. And often is that trust that inspires you to preserve or to reach higher.

If you take the first letter of growth, resilience, engagement, agility and trust, your left with the word GREAT as an acronym. It’s easy to see how the application of these five principles could indeed result in great leadership. But for me, these five approaches are equally applicable when we think about how we navigate the challenges that life throws our way.

I found that putting it into this context was actually very empowering and helped me take back control of how I negotiate the challenges that happen when you live your life. But the truth is this isn’t a case of do it once and it’s done forever. The thing about self-improvement is it never stops. We are all continually learning and continually growing.Do you apply the same principles to Positive Leadership in your life and career? Or do you have another acronym that resonates with you? I'd love to hear your insights.