Three Critical Things Every Leader Needs

I don’t know about you but when I wake up in the morning I need a good cup of coffee.  It just seems to get me going in the right direction.  I drink so much coffee at work I consider it my daily grind.

Ok, bad joke, but bad jokes are one of my passions. Another thing I’m passionate about is leaders and leadership development.

I am a retired pastor, trained coach and organizational consultant looking to pass on some of my life lessons and experiences to help you become the best version of yourself and your organization or team be the best it can be.

This blog and everything on our website is designed to help you personally and the team of people you work with get a little bit better at leading yourself, your team, and/or your organization.

I have discovered that three things are critical to your success as a leader or life in general.  Life and leadership require a generous helping of grit, grace, and gratitude. Thus, the name for my blog. Grit, Grace, and Gratitude are three powerful qualities that, when cultivated, can transform your approach to life and lead to personal growth, resilience, and a deeper sense of fulfillment.

Here’s how each contributes to better living and making you a better leader:

Grit is the combination of passion and persistence in pursuing long-term goals, even in the face of challenges. It reflects a refusal to give up when the journey gets tough.  Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world.” [John 16:33] Truer words may never have been spoken and that’s why grit matters.  Life is full of setbacks and grit helps you bounce back stronger.  Grit is what we need to build the disciplines in our lives that make us consistent and leads to mastery even when our motivation wanes.  Grit is what helps us stay committed to meaningful goals even when progress isn’t visible, and it looks like you’re taking three steps back for every two steps forward. 

There is a song in the 1955 Broadway musical Damn Yankees called “You Gotta Have Heart”.  There’s a line in the song that says,

“Oh, it’s fine to be a genius of course.

But keep that old horse

Before the cart

First, you’ve gotta have heart.”

What is heart but another way of saying grit?  I’ve seen incredibly talented people and organizations fail because they put the cart before the horse.  Grit helps you embrace failure as learning opportunities.  It helps you keep on keeping on even when progress is slow or even negligible.  It also helps you break down big goals into smaller, actionable steps.  In short, grit finds a way.  It’s your number one asset.

Grace, on the other hand, is about living with dignity and poise. Grace involves navigating life with dignity, humility, and compassion—for yourself and others. It’s about responding to challenges and successes alike with calm and a positive attitude.  When you extend grace to others it enhances relationships, fosters understanding and empathy.  When you extend grace to yourself it promotes inner peace and reduces unnecessary stress.  Best of all it inspires others to treat themselves and one another with grace in tough situations.

We live in a time when grace is in short supply.  You can cultivate more grace in your life by forgiving yourself and others for not being perfect or meeting your expectations.  Practice active listening and empathy seeking to understand those around you and you will naturally become more grace filled in your dealings with them.  As difficult as it can be, try to respond rather than react to difficult situations.  It’s ok to take a breath or a moment to reflect before you react to someone or something happening in your life.  It is a rare thing indeed that needs your immediate attention. 

All of which leads to an attitude of gratitude which heals the spirit and shifts your focus from what you lack to what you have. Gratitude is the conscious practice of recognizing and appreciating the blessings in your life, no matter how small.  I have a pair of socks with the word “blessed” on the toes. When I put them on in the morning, I am reminded that my whole life is covered in blessings I’m not even aware of most of the time.  When I find myself discouraged or searching for a way forward unsuccessfully in my leadership more times than not it is because I am focused on what I don’t have instead of what I do.

The benefits of gratitude are increasingly well documented. It boosts mental health by reducing anxiety and depression. It strengthens relationships and builds trust and warmth between people.  Most of all it enhances happiness. I have become convinced that all spiritual growth begins by nurturing gratitude in your life. A grateful mindset helps you see the best in others and encourages them to become their best self, so it is a key to leading well.  Expressing gratitude makes all of life’s blessings feel more abundant.

I am grateful that you have taken the time to read my blog, and I hope it has blessed you in some way. To summarize, three things are critical for you to become the leader you were created to be:

• Grit gives you the determination to chase your goals.
• Grace ensures you do so with compassion and humility.
• Gratitude helps you celebrate the journey, and the progress made along the way.

I wish you all the grit, grace, and gratitude you need for your leadership journey.