Millions of books talk about leaders and leadership.  

Despite many perspectives that exist in these books, one common theme across all is how leaders lead when times are tough.  

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Have you ever wondered why leadership in tough times is different? Why is it so often spoken about?

The answer is in the very mental and emotional regulation that the leaders who thrive in crisis possess. This mental and emotional regulation differentiates the leaders who thrive and those who don’t thrive in the tough times.  

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What is the difference really?  

Out of many differences that you may have seen or witnessed in your own life examples or around the people you live with— one significant difference between other leaders and them is happiness orientation. 

I would not say anything technical like change management expertise or management skills for thriving in excessive uncertainty and unpredictability but a spiritual dimension of happiness that must be understood. 

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Happiness is a highly misunderstood powerhouse. Leaders who win through several perfect storms don’t imagine happy outcomes but they believe in happiness as a choice.  

his faith in happiness as a choice brings in them courage and ability to remind themselves that universal laws are perfect and these laws work irrespective of whether it’s good day or bad day or worst day.

They engage their minds and hearts with their people such that they hold a sense of realism and yet empower them to believe in happiness.  

Of course, you need skills of management, other interdisciplinary science and art of leadership but this happiness orientation is the genesis of successful outcomes. In addition, you must have structure, systems, & processes to accelerate decision-making and decisiveness ability.  

Once the decisions are timely made by organisation, to reach results – you require an army of people to execute the decisions with equal care and skills of minds, people and technicalities of domain. The army of execution to reach desired results in time requires its own operationally prudent structures, systems, and processes. 

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Have you ever heard that two exactly same skilled and competent leaders produces strikingly different result? 

There are many reasons you would find depending on what point of view you hold however the truth is the one who wins is the one who carries happiness as a key choice, a drive and almost like a lifeforce. 

Most of us understand the true importance of happiness when a lot is lost. The desire for love that you hold truly for your company’s mission, or an individual you love is a true powerhouse because it prepares you to take any step for happiness and you choose it.  

This does not mean you would be singing & excited at every hour of the day but it certainly adds focus really.  

Remember, neither fear nor courage alone will never bring any good results. Happiness is the absolute primary and then courage and all other virtues follow. It is like a giant farm of banyan tree ecosystem that harbours all creatures and types under the one tree like one giant universe of its own.  

This is happiness.  

An equal to a banyan tree, it grows from all 360 degrees and not only in height but almost pervasively it grows. Again, this is happiness effect. All encompassing, all balanced and silent yet enjoying speed growth from all around harbouring the whole universe.  

A happy child grows all around while not the unhappy child. An unhappy child grows in height but not all around like a banyan farm. Think and feel this if you want to.  

I know this may seem unconnected. 
Also, mind produces a lot of technicalities and questions when we wish to find answer of quests for what it takes for a leader to deliver results in a perfect storm. 

Be it a business leader delivering shining results under excessively challenged economic conditions or a political leader having on his shoulder an entire country’s fate dependent under serious global and civil crisis. 

The leaders who come out winning are surprisingly those who understand happiness not as an outcome or emotion but a virtue, a choice, an attitude. 

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One of the significant shift you would realise when you choose happiness is the power to fight for what you love!  

A business leader’s love for his customers success or a political leader’s love for his country’s harmonious and prosperous future. This is crucial.  

Happiness will give you the ability to win over any odd that you want to win for what you love…. Think for a while this. Remember, it is not smiles or emotions but an unshakable grit to make it happen whatever you love and commit for under any circumstances.  

It’s a choice because you believe it is worth to win, no matter what. 

I trust this may give some angles to contemplate. 

Rough waters are truer tests of leadership.
In calm water, every ship has a good captain.