Maintaining WOW in the face of adversity may not be easy, but those who do it well are those who ultimately shine. All American Presidents during my lifetime have been under scrutiny in one way or another. Let’s face it: not everyone agrees with every policy, action, or idea of our nations leaders. Their decisions and political persuasions are constantly under attack by the very people they represent. Yet, like it or not, our fearless leaders are just that: fearless in the face of adversity. They seem to maintain their beliefs and drive even while being metaphorically slapped in the face for those beliefs on a daily basis.

WOW leaders aren’t always popular, they aren’t always right, and they certainly aren’t perfect. But they’re always true to themselves, even when their decisions come under attack. In the face of adversity, WOW leaders must ignore the naysayers and focus on being authentic to their own goals, choices, and beliefs.

Admittedly, it isn’t easy to maintain composure and stay on course when being attacked or encouraged to stray from your intended path. Its even harder when you feel your adversaries outnumber your supporters. But, that’s when WOW leaders prove their mettle. That’s how you separate the WOWs from the wannabes.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain WOW in the face of adversity:

• Keep your chin up: Don’t let others dictate your level of confidence. Stand fast and firm in support of yourself, always displaying the self-assuredness you possess.
• Be authentic: Regardless of outside pressures, negative opinions, or inferences of doubt, stay true to yourself. Have an honest, truthful, frank internal conversation with yourself, evaluating who you are and what you stand for. Don’t veer from your authentic self to please anyone else.
• Be fearless: Don’t let the fear of failing, being unpopular, or eliciting negative reactions prevent you from acting on your beliefs. When you’re unafraid, nothing can hold you back in the face of adversity.
• Don’t be defensive: As mother always said, be the bigger person, and take the high road. When you’re under attack, your first instinct may be to fight back. You’ll want to defend yourself, discredit your opposition, and point out the injustice of the attack. But stooping to the level of the attacker only makes you look bad. Plus, it shifts your focus towards justifying your goals and away from implementing and succeeding at them.
• Lean on your supporters: Build a support network that keeps you grounded and secure. Instead of being discouraged by those who oppose you, focus instead on those who back you up and stand beside you no matter what.
• Look forward, not behind: Keep moving forward, making decisions and taking action to support your goals. Look toward the potential of whats to come, not backward at any missteps or mistakes you’ve made along the way. Those who oppose you will be quick to point out your past, but in the face of adversity, always turn towards the future.

When WOW leaders are handed lemons, they don’t just make lemonade, they plant more lemon trees. They maintain their WOW factor in the face of adversity, turning the sour element into sweet success.

–Sheri Staak