What Does Stamina Have to Do With Leadership and Business Management?

While leadership and business management areoverhead, and revenues for the future.
defined differently by everyone - especially thoseThose responsible for leadership and business
who are selling business leadership managementmanagement within the organization must have
training and consulting services, leadership is simplystrength, stamina to keep on keeping on in their
the ability to meet the needs of those who are partcontinual battle against "good enough" and all the
of their organization, those who depend on theother momentum busting attitudes so prevalent in
organization directly or indirectly in any way, andorganizations today. When business is great no one
other individuals and organizations as well.wants to change what's working. When business is
Simply however does not mean simple and it certainlybad no one wants to make changes that might make
does not mean easy. In fact two of the mostthings worse.
important requirements of leaders, attributes that canNo one except a leader that is. Of course stamina
not be learned from a book - are not part of thecould mean physical stamina, but today it is more
curriculum of any leadership and businesslikely to mean emotional stamina. As each leader
management training program I have ever seen -moves up to an ever higher level in the organization -
have been requirements of leaders for all of knownto the next higher level of leadership and
history.management responsibility, the demands on the
When it comes to leading an organization in the 21stemotions increase. These are the demands that
century, leadership and business management skillsdirectly attack their stamina, their ability to stay the
must be present at every level of the company - nocourse against all odds and those would never
matter how large or small it is. Naturally thechallenge the status quo.
opportunities to lead and the limits of theirIt is crucial that leaders at every level of the
effectiveness - as it relates to the entireorganization have the stamina to recover rapidly from
organization, are determined by the nature of theirdisappointment for example. They must be able to
position within the power structure.bounce back from defeat and discouragement.
The tenets of leadership and business managementLeaders must be able to carry out the responsibilities
have not changed much during all of recorded history,of their jobs without losing a clear picture of the
Leadership is today what it has always been, thesituation, no matter how much and how fierce the
ability institute change into an already functioningopposition.
system. Leaders ask the question, "just because itAnd they must have the emotional strength to
doesn't appear to be broken, does not mean itpersist in the face of difficulty.
should not be improved does it?" when consideringPhysical strength and stamina are vital to both the
every facet of their organization.leader and their organization. If the leader of off sick
In successful organizations those with leadership andor taking "mental health days" they may not be on
business management skill are always remodeling.the scene to lead at a critical moment.
They are always making something new - somethingLeaders then must have both the physical to endure
within the structure of the company is being lookedwhatever physical demands of leadership that
at today and seen as it will look tomorrow - thenpresent themselves - as well as the emotional
constructing something sustainable that will lead thestrength to withstand the daily attacks that always
business to continued improvement of conditions,result when someone insists upon change!