A Donkey Can Lead When Things Are Good
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A Donkey Can Lead When Things Are Good
Real leadership stands out when someone can keep their team motivated while the world is on fire. We are so quick to praise leaders when things are going great. But the moment things fall apart we point at the economy, the market, the team, the circumstances. Rarely do we look in the mirror. “True leadership is not measured in the good times. It is revealed in the storm.”
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I do not follow the NBA closely but I always check in during the Finals hoping for a great series. What I just witnessed was one of the greatest I have ever seen.
I was rooting for New York. I love cheering for the underdog. What I was not prepared for was the level of grit and determination I was about to see from a team that refused to quit.
Almost every game they got their teeth kicked in for the majority of the game. But the one moment that stopped me in my tracks was a game where they were at home getting blown out. The fans were defeated. The commentators had already moved on. The world had checked out.
They were down 29 points heading into halftime.
For most teams that is a death sentence. That is the moment people start pointing fingers, checking out mentally and looking for someone to blame.
They won that game by one point.
Let that sink in. Down 29 at halftime. Won by 1. That does not happen without a leader who refused to let the score become the story.
I was not in that locker room. I do not know that coach personally.
What I do know is the challenge of keeping a team motivated when the odds and the entire world are against you. I know the frustration that erupts among team members when you are in the middle of a storm. I know what it feels like when the pressure is crushing and people start looking for the exit.
And I know that great leadership rises up in exactly that moment.
What that coach did going into the third and fourth quarter was something worth studying. He did not get consumed by the score. He did not get swallowed by the noise of the crowd. He stayed steadfast on what he knew and what he believed.
He created a no big deal attitude. We have been here before. We will win.
He knew that all the preparation during the good times and all the grinding during the hard times would have to pay up right now. And losing was not even a thought in his mind.In life and in leadership what you focus on becomes your reality. If you focus on losing, on worst case scenarios, on everything that could go wrong, that is exactly what you will get. But when you commit to growing when things are good and you build the habits and the mindset in the quiet seasons, then when the storm hits you will not fold. You will lead.
True leadership is consistency. In everything you do. In how you invest in yourself. In how you show up when nobody is watching and when everybody is watching.
Nobody is going to do it for you. And this world owes you nothing.
Ask yourself these questions honestly.
Do I show up every day with a growth mindset?
Is my attitude consistent no matter what season I am in?
Does my leadership change when I am getting my teeth kicked in?
Am I enjoying the journey the same way I enjoy the victory?
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
If this issue stirred something in you that feeling is worth following. Every month I sit down with a room full of leaders who are done surviving and ready to lead from a different place. That is what Foundation Training is built for.
No theory. No fluff. Just three hours that will change how you think about yourself as a leader and give you real tools to walk out and use the same day. And it will not cost you a thing except a Monday morning.
“I would love to see you in the room. Come ready to be challenged and leave with something that actually moves the needle.” — Christian
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Keep pouring into the people around you.
And give yourself permission to be poured into too.
Christian Abrahamson
Founder, Pour Into