The Secret that Turns Frailty to Opportunity

The façade of competence destroys leaders.

Disruption, adversity, and crisis remind you of frailty. How you respond to frailty sets the course of your future.

Frailty strengthens you to release:

  1. Self-absorption.
  2. Self-infatuation.
  3. Self-glorification.
  4. Self-protection.

We need reminders that we aren’t ALL THAT.

The secret:

Everyone who faces adversity with arrogance is made worse.

Humility turns frailty into opportunity.

Those who face frailty with humility learn they aren’t ALL THAT.

Humility adapts:

Most leaders brag that their people are stepping up in new ways. But there are a few exceptions. You may have one or two people on your team who refuse to adapt.

The frailty of arrogance is inflexibility.

The drive to serve compels humility to adapt.

The practice of humility during adversity:

#1. Take on new roles and responsibilities:

Those who refuse to adapt during crisis become irrelevant.

Crisis and adversity are opportunity to do things you’ve never done. Or you grab your toys and run home.

Crisis reveals arrogance. The old mantra, “I’ve got to be me,” sounds shallow when there’s a need you can fill, but don’t.

Humble leaders take their turn on the disinfecting crew, like one VP I know.

#2. Open your mind:

Turbulence turns established practice on its head.

Humility learns. Arrogance knows.

Humility has many teachers. Arrogance has none.

#3. Care deeply:

Arrogance cares for itself. Humility cares for others.

  1. No personal exemptions.
  2. Perks don’t matter when the house is on fire.
  3. Others’ wants and needs take priority.

Humility gives birth to empathy. Arrogance is apathetic to the needs of others.

#4. Receive help:

Self-sufficiency turns adversity into tragedy.

You go further when you give help AND when others help you.

Humility acknowledges its need of others.

I write a lot about humility because I need it, not because I have it.

What opportunities do you see in crisis?

What prevents leaders from growing through adversity?