Are you a tenacious leader?

This past month I was fortunate to enjoy the French Open up close from the stands of Roland Garros. From where I sat, not only did I have a great view of every backhand and ace, I also could see the motto of the arena clearly: La victoire appartient au plus opiniâtre.

In English, the phrase reads: Victory belongs to the most tenacious. 

When witnessing some of the best tennis players in the world, performing their best on the clay, it’s easy to see the truth of this phrase. It also got me thinking about how tenacity plays a role in leadership of all kinds – from the boardroom to the local sports teams and everywhere in between. 

What does it mean to be tenacious? 

There’s something about the word ‘tenacious’ that evokes negativity. Many people associate it being stubborn or obstinate but really, it is the more positive counterpart of these behaviours. 

The word tenacious is an adjective and means to ‘hold fast’ or ‘persist’, particularly when facing challenges. 

Tenacious people don’t give up at the first hurdle, instead they keep their goal clear and continue working towards it, adapting their approach until they reach it. 

Tenacity is developed 

On every leadership journey, there are things that can propel leaders forward or hold them back – for better or worse. Gender, age, race, wealth, even some networks… each of these things can have an impact on a leadership journey and they’re impossible to reckon with because they are ‘built-in’ to each of us, rather than something we can easily change or develop. 

But tenacity isn’t about who you are or who you know, tenacity is a skill that can be developed along the way no matter who you are. 

At the French Open this year, many of the big names were knocked out early. So much so that in the women’s competition, a 19-year-old Russian player took home her first Grand Slam title. 

While she’s still young and will likely have many more tenacity-building challenges in front of her, any Grand Slam win is proof that conquering challenges, adjusting your game, and going out there to be the best version of yourself and achieve your goal is possible. It’s not uncommon, in these competitions, to hear of underdogs taking home the cup – tenacity is what gets them there. 

And, it could be argued, that those big names – the leaders of the sport – falter in their tenacity. After many years of winning, proving they’re the best in the game, a challenge arising unexpectedly can shake them, loosening their determination and causing them to put a foot wrong. 

Four steps to become a tenacious leader

Developing tenacity is not an overnight project – it will take years or decades to truly become a leader that others describe as tenacious. There are four building blocks to developing this tenacity: 

1. Secure a clear purpose or vision – whether it’s a long-term organisational goal or a one-year goal within your team, it’s important to have a purpose that keeps you motivated when the going gets tough. A purpose provides context in which the challenge and opportunity are equally as valuable.
   
2. Embrace failure – there is a resilience that comes from trying, failing, course-correcting, and trying again. Most people don’t come to the workforce with that resilience, it only comes from travelling a road that isn’t smooth.
   
3. Be surrounded by the right people – it is critical to have people in your team with the right skills, alignment to a shared vision, who provide support to you and each other as you tackle all the obstacles on the way to that shared vision. With their support and constructive feedback, you can reach that goal together and become stronger throughout the challenges.
   
4. Balance your work and health – leaders who aren’t able to get the balance right between professional wellbeing and personal wellbeing will struggle to become truly tenacious. Give yourself the best chance of being the best version of yourself so you are in the best position possible to take on the challenges that come your way. 

Want to become a tenacious leader? People Make the Difference can help. To find out more, visit www.pmtd.com.au or call us on 0412 333 415