It’s more common than you think. No matter how seasoned the leader, there will be times when confidence wanes. I love reading autobiographies of famous leaders, especially their stories depicting times of great difficulty and uncertainty and how they navigated their journeys to great triumph.
One name that comes to mind is the story of Winston Churchill and how he struggled and second guessed himself constantly as he led Great Britain through WWII to resist the German invasion. The humanity and vulnerability of the leader is real. There are times in my various leadership roles when I come to a crossroad of trying to determine what direction to turn or who to turn to and have coached many leaders at a similar impasse.
What I have discovered is that leaders who return to their core beliefs and values in difficult times find an undisputable reservoir of wisdom there. Personal Leadership is the fundamental skill that equips the leader with foundational principals that at the core you are willing to live and die for. Circumstances my change, people my change but the leaders core beliefs and values will not.
Successful leaders take the time to delve deep beneath the layers of their core beliefs. The roots of their values have to be deep enough to withstand the inevitable challenges that most certainly will come their way. These deeps roots are cultivated through not only a deep understanding of leadership values and beliefs, but also an in depth understanding as to the reason why these values are important.
The more a leader can define the reason WHY, the deeper the roots that will grab hold of the courage of conviction. The silent strength and courage of a century old oak tree that is able to stand against the challenges of life.