Been There, Done That? Why Next-Level Tenacity is the New Challenge
You've climbed the ladder. You've weathered storms, led your team through triumphs and tribulations. Yet, a new kind of challenge beckons: building next-level tenacity.
It's not that you lack grit. You've proven that time and again. But the landscape is changing. The challenges you face now are different beasts – complex, interconnected, and constantly evolving.
Why Leaders Resist Building Next Level Tenacity
Here's why building this new level of tenacity can be surprisingly difficult, even for seasoned leaders. Below are just a few reasons reaching the next stage of tenacity can be a real challenge.
The Comfort Trap
Years of experience can lull you into a sense of comfort with your established strategies. It's easy to fall back on what's worked in the past, even when the situation demands a fresh approach.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy
You've invested significant time and resources into a particular strategy. Letting go, even when it's clearly not working anymore, can be painful. But clinging to a failing approach just because of past investment hinders progress.
The Fear of Failure (Redefined)
You've built a reputation for success. The fear of failure that fueled your early climb can transform into a fear of losing face. Experimentation and innovation become less appealing when the potential for setbacks feels magnified.
Cultivating Next Level Tenacity
So, how do you cultivate next-level tenacity in this new leadership landscape?
Explore the four steps below to start working towards your next-level tenacity.
Embrace Discomfort
Step outside your comfort zone. Seek out new perspectives and challenge your assumptions. Embrace the discomfort of uncertainty – it's the birthplace of innovation.
Practice Radical Candor
Create a safe space for honest conversations with your team. Encourage healthy debate and challenge the status quo.
Celebrate Calculated Risks
Reward calculated risks, even if they don't always pan out. Learning from "failures" is crucial for building next-level tenacity.
Focus on Agility
Develop an "adaptive mindset." Be prepared to pivot your strategies as needed, learning from experience and adapting to changing environments.
Building next-level tenacity is a continuous journey, not a destination. By acknowledging the challenges and embracing a growth mindset, you can lead your team through this new era with unwavering resolve.
Leadership Practice
Identify three reasons why you may resist building “next level leadership tenacity.” Do you feel that you already have tenacity? Do you believe that you no longer need tenacity? Many leaders feel like they have made it through difficult times so they must be tenacious enough. However, you can always build a next level of tenacity. Go back to your three reasons and reflect on potential benefits of building your tenacity to help you manage pressure, ongoing change and ambiguity.
About Athena
Athena Williams, Founder and CEO of Tenacious Leadership Institute, has been supporting leaders worldwide to become more tenacious for over 20 years. She has found that tenacity is the key to sustained leadership success in today’s ever-changing world. Through her coaching and leadership development programs, she helps leaders expertly handle change, complexity and other challenges so they can quickly get better results for themselves, their teams and their organizations. Take the first step to becoming a tenacious leader by scheduling a call with us.
