Leadership & Adversity.

Montaigne says, echoing the ancient Stoics, that we should welcome adversity, because it provides us an opportunity to test and demonstrate our virtue.

Everyone can act well when things are going smoothly, the real test of character is when everything is on fire. In this way, you really don’t know your strength of character, the quality of your virtue, until you’re faced with adversity.

Adversity requires leadership, but not in the way that the word is commonly used. Leadership is not about “taking charge”, or motivational speeches at the end of a stand up call :)

Leaders lead by doing, by being in the front lines of a battle, willing to go to a place where failure is possible, even likely, and coming back with answers, holding up a lantern in dark and undefined places, so that others can find their way.

This is how I think of leaders. Not us strong-men/strong-women but as quiet explorers, enduring the anxiety of the unknown on behalf of others. They lead from the bottom and not from the top.

As we challenge what we’re capable of and push out to find our own limits, each and every one of you will have the opportunity to lead, through your calmness, your steadfastness and your even handedness.

And remember to be glad of it, it's a chance to find out what stuff we're really made of.