Patience

#Beingaleader means you know the old adage “never pray for patience.” However, without patience, you will not succeed at #beingaleader. You will push people away, alienate team members, and likely, in the end, irreparably blow up your team or project.

Patience is defined as “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” So the opposite trait is one that gets angry and upset and allows your emotion to sway the moment. If you allow this to happen, you are damaging those around you and impeding your team’s ultimate success.

This quality ranks up there with self-control. It takes hard work. Discipline. Thoughtfulness. In the Biblical sense, you see this as part of fruit of the indwelling Spirit. But you need to exercise it. Recognize it’s importance. Strengthen it. Practice it through intentionally letting the frustration of life flow off you like a waterfall.

“But I’m just not a patient person” you may say. “My heritage is such that it’s okay to blow up at people or situations.” “I can’t control it.” I’m calling BS on this. Patience is part of the skill set you have to learn in #beingaleader. Angry, explosive leaders may appear successful for a time period but in the end they do not engender loyalty and will cause irreparable harm to those around them. Do not follow such leaders.

#Beingaleader means both you and your team members are works in progress so please practice patience.