When the World Seems Against You, Here Are 4 Tips for Being a Mentally Tough Leader

1. Believe in what you’re doing.

It’s a lot easier to be tough when you truly believe in what you’re doing and you know, whether anyone else can see it or not, that what you are doing is right. If you’re uncertain, those negative voices and hateful words are going to wear you down a lot easier and you’ll eventually prove your critics right. Don’t do anything unless you can say for certain it is the right thing and you are willing to fight for it till the end with passion and gusto, even when the going gets tough.

2. Remember, it’s just an opinion.

Even on those days when it seems like everyone is against you and questions your leadership abilities and values, remember their ugly rhetoric is just their opinion. There’s not a single person on the planet everybody likes. There’s also not a single person on the planet everyone hates. So, you always have to keep in mind you’re not a villain, a loser or incompetent and that there is at least one person in your company or your life who thinks you’re pretty alright. 

3. Think about your teams.

Nothing is worse than being right smack in the middle of a crisis and knowing the person who is supposed to be leading your organization through all the mess is probably going to fold like a cheap suit when people start hurling insults and criticisms. If you’re looking for a way to have your people lose faith in you, wavering and caving when the going gets tough is it. Stay the course and be someone they can count on and whose strength and resilience they admire.

4. Let it fuel you.

Take a page from Art’s book and let the negativity fuel your leadership. Keep doing what you’re doing and prove the naysayers wrong. You are never going to please them and the more you succeed, the angrier they are going to get, so you might as well give them something to be really mad about. Hold your head up high, work your tail end off, and be even better and stronger because of them.

Leadership isn’t a role for the faint of heart. Hateful words do hurt and over time they can take a mental and emotional toll on you. You don’t have to stop being a nice or likable person in order to be a leader, but you do have to be tough. It’s not always going to be easy, but you being a strong beacon people can count on is what is necessary for your teams, your organization, and your legacy. 

SOURCE:success.com