Leadership, perseverance, after the storm

“Birds sing after a storm…” (Rose Kennedy)

If anyone had storms in his or her life, it was Rose Kennedy. The above was the quote that she used to get through all the tragedies that happened to her children.

This was a quote a priest used in his homily one Sunday at Mass. He had been accused of pedophilia, only to be exonerated some months later. When asked how he endured the incredibly difficult months that followed the accusation, he said he daily reiterated Rose Kennedy’s maxim.

There is a lot of adversity out there and none of us is exempt, most especially those in leadership positions. Certainly, one of the worst things a leader has to deal with is a false accusation.

There are three ways leaders can work through these accusations that attack their character. First, they can remind themselves that regardless of what others may say, they know the truth. They know what they did and what they did not do. So, let others say what they will, they know it is simply not true.

Second, rely on your close friends. They do stay with you through thick and thin and it is okay to lean on them. You do not always have to be the strongest person in the room.

Third, Rose Kennedy’s thought on storms can be very beneficial. The storms do end and the birds do sing. It can be a most difficult ride, but its intensity will end or, at the very least, dissipate. It is critical for the leader to remind himself or herself that better times are ahead.