The greatest leaders we know were driven in their overall
work - and in their times of greatest challenge - by faith. For some their faith was religious. Others described their faith as
spiritual. We call it "faith"
because this mindset runs heavily against the grain of conventional
wisdom. Conventional wisdom says two
things: (1) Winning is what matters. Defeat is defeat. And if you've tried so hard
and lost, you deserve to feel awful (maybe for the rest of your life). (2) Take care of your own self.
Yet in the faith we are talking about, leaders show up with
two essential qualities:
First, the results of the past don't matter. They put themselves whole-heartedly into the
new moment they're in. Indeed, it's this
capacity and commitment to keep working, playing, fighting - even when they've lost
badly - that doesn't just prove, but builds and solidifies their character. Second, this faith clearly says: It's just
not all about me. In the times that are
hardest, these great leaders lead for others.