Leaders, by definition, work with people. And people (all of us), if we are honest, are a little messy and prone to error. So it's impossible to lead without experiencing (at times) injuries, whether intentional or unintentional, from people. And it’s also easy for leaders (who have been injured) to get out of balance emotionally, becoming increasingly defensive or even closed off. While this is understandable, if we aren’t mindful of this phenomenon, it can significantly reduce our effectiveness as leaders. This is because although loneliness is an occupational hazard of leadership, leadership cannot be done alone. President Nelson Mandela's journey from prison to presidential office provides a leadership roadmap for leading with grace. Reflecting on his experience (27 years of wrongful imprisonment), he shared with Bill Clinton that, "when you're young and strong you can live on your hatred. And I did for many years." However, after years of imprisonment, physical and emotional abuse and separation from family, Mandela reflected, "I realized that they could take everything from me except my mind and my heart. They could not take those things. Those things I still had control over. And I decided not to give them away." Mandela’s high bar of “leadership forgiveness,” while aspirational for most of us, is no less true. Leadership influence, especially in complex or contentious situations, is often directly proportional to a leaders ability to shed offenses while modeling North Star behaviors to keep the team moving forward and focused on prioritized goals and objectives. #LeadByRecentering
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