What does it mean to be mentally tough and why is it an important characteristic of a leader?
Be Resilient.
Being mentally tough is about being resilient. It is about handling major setbacks well; taking a failure and figuring out to do with it (not getting defensive, not dismissing it and not playing the victim).
Show Courage.
Second, a leader that is mentally tough shows courage by doing the right thing (correcting the situation) and does not let the failure hold him/her back. They keep moving forward.
Be Persistent.
Finally, it is about persistence. No matter how many times you get knocked down, you get back up. One of the things I am most proud of at Interstates is the “don’t quit” attitude of our leaders. A great part of our culture is to persist and finish things well.
As a leader you have the opportunity to give your team the hope that the vision is possible and the confidence to go for it. It is always your responsibility to set the standard by demonstrating mental toughness.
The next time you have a major setback, you have a choice:
Play the victim and complain, or
Show mental toughness.
Seize the opportunity by not asking “Why me?”, but by asking “What should I do with this?”
Lead by example — Lead the Interstates Way.
