6 Elements of Mental Toughness

The following article is an exerpt from Forbes.com.  It compares the characteristics of mental toughness needed to be a successful athlete with thr characteristics needed to be a successful business leader.  You can get the full article here.

Flexibility
If something isn’t going well or doesn’t turn out as expected, they remain flexible in their approach and look for new ways to solve the problem.

Being Present
Game-ready leaders are able to remain engaged, alive and connected with a situation when under pressure. They are constantly identifying the opportunities, challenges, and threats in the environment.

Strength
They find the strength to dig deep and garner the resolve to keep going, even when in a seemingly losing game. They focus on giving their best and fighting hard until the end, with persistent intensity throughout the game.

Courage and Ethics
Game-ready leaders do the right thing for the organization and the team. They suppress the temptation to cut corners or to undermine others so they come out on top.

Resilience
Game-ready leaders rebound from disappointments, mistakes and missed opportunities and get right back in the game.

Sportsmanship
Game-ready leaders exhibit sportsmanship. They don’t let the opponent know when he or she has gotten them down. “Chin up,” I say to my son. Clearly we all experience disappointment, attacks from others, an occasional blow to the stomach. However, the behavior exhibited by game-ready leaders after losing or being attacked by others or the situation sets the tone for the rest of an organization.