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Leading in Adversity:
A Message from the MHI President, Teresa Carale

Feature Article
Women Helping Women: The Rosedale Center for Girls  
 
Women Transforming Culture
Do you have a minute?  
By Allison Elliott
 
Cultural Corner
Coming This Spring: There Be Dragons
By Alice Trimmer

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Spring 2011 Newsletter

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Murray Hill Institute Newsletter
Spring 2011
Vol. 8 No. 2

Leading in Adversity: A Message from the MHI President, Teresa Carale

In the Seminar on Developing a Personal Leadership Style which we offered in the fall, we proposed that leaders need to have Clear Vision, Competence, and Character.  A leader is forward-looking, leading those in the team towards a goal.  With this vision of the future, concretized in clearly defined long term and short term goals, a leader evaluates tasks and organizes the team in such a way as to make the goals achievable.  To get to the goal faster, a leader navigates to avoid obstacles and anything that could obstruct the achievement of the organization’s objectives.

However, many things are beyond a leader’s control. The tragedy in Japan, where a tsunami took thousands of lives, and the radiation threat risks the lives of thousands of others, is a case in point.  Planning and organization of systems and responses do mitigate the effects of adversities when they occur.  However, one cannot totally eliminate these external factors, as one cannot prevent an earthquake or a tsunami from occurring. When adversities are encountered, some will pull back, some will be paralyzed with fear, but a leader faces these adversities head on.  This brings to mind a leadership trait that is seldom mentioned –and that is the virtue of hope.  Through hope, one desires something (a goal, a benefit, a reward…), works hard towards that end, and anticipates achieving or obtaining that which is desired. A leader who is driven by hope faces adversities squarely.

Facing adversities can take various forms.  One can wrestle with it directly as in climbing a mountain to reach a town on the other side; speaking directly and clearly with a person who is negatively affecting team performance; seeking professional help to eliminate a speech impediment.  A second way is to “use” the adversity instead of going against it, similar to driving into the skid to regain control of a skidding car.  Losing a job can be jarring, but some have chosen to see this as opening up growth opportunities– like exploring other career options, going back to school, starting a business. A performance evaluation form that identifies weaknesses and gaps in one’s competencies can similarly be used to focus on improvement and growth, addressing the weaknesses and gaps to improve or add to one’s competencies.

A leader does not pretend that adversities do not exist, as some persons are apt to do.  These will not “go away” just because one refuses to acknowledge them or think of them. Thus reactions that leaders will not give in to are denial, discouragement, or despair.

Which brings us back to the beginning: the leader is a person driven by hope and optimism, someone who looks at a situation and sees opportunity, someone who is determined to look at the future with confidence and conviction.