You can turn adversity into advantage

Pasadena Star News

By: Cynthia Kurtz

Posted 2/05/2014

It happens to everyone. You are moving along and life throws a curveball at you. I am not talking about having too much work or a day when things keep going wrong. I am talking about the times when it feels like the bottom has fallen out of your world. 

It is frightening, it is stressful, and you probably think about giving up. Rather than beating you down, there is a lot of evidence that adversity offers opportunities for growth. Tackling tough problems can develop your leadership and life skills. 

Last week David Schechtman of Tru Progress Consulting told members of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership why adversity can be your “new best friend.” David sites the work of the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) as evidence. 

If you don’t know about CCL you might want to check them out. They are consistently ranked as one of the leaders in executive education and leadership development. Their work is based on extensive research and draws on the experiences of tens of thousands of leaders and organizations. 

When CCL asked accomplished leaders what was important in their own development, three answers stood out. Important relationships. That makes sense. Role models and mentors are important. Big assignments. Of course adding responsibilities builds confidence. But the most important experience cited by both men and women was facing hardships. 

Facing hardships isn’t automatic. Our instinct is to turn inward and hide. That response will not lead to growth. Instead, David counsels his clients to take charge, crack open that protective shell and leap into your heroic self. 

What does that mean to us mere mortals?

Taking charge doesn’t mean being in control of the situation or giving orders to others. It means taking charge of you. It means accepting that bad things happen, producing the self-determination you’re going to need to keep going, and not expecting someone to come to your rescue. 

Cracking your protective shell means embracing change and being open to learning. Situations are never going to be exactly the same. Make time to be reflective about what that means to you and to those you care about especially family, colleagues, employees and customers. 

Leaping into your heroic self means being willing to take risks – risk of change, risk of making mistakes, risk of failure.

Maybe you aren’t quite ready to make adversity your bff but clearly facing hardships offers lessons you can’t learn any other way.

I think now I understand why the Mandarin word for “crisis” means both “danger” and “opportunity.” We will face adversity in our personal and professional lives. It is our choice how we face it.