The Big 5

Leadership Wired has a great post on the Big 5 challenges in life...

Successful people do not have less challenging lives than those who do not succeed. In fact, they may go through even greater challenges. What causes the separation? Successful people respond to difficulties differently. It’s easy to have a great attitude when things are going our way. Attitude doesn’t become the difference maker until challenges arise.

1. Discouragement
Every leader gets discouraged. However, not every leader responds to discouragement the same way. Attitude dictates whether a discouraged leader will give up or get up.

2. Problems
Every leader runs into problems. When facing problems, adjusting your attitude can be a precursor to adjusting your situation. Remember: change on the outside always follows the change on the inside.

3. Change
Change is an unavoidable and often unwelcome part of life. Change pushes us away from comfort by refusing to let us settle.

4. Fear
Fear has the ability to exaggerate itself and spread throughout our life. When fear grips us, we are frozen and incapable of action. Worrisome thoughts fill our mind with distractions, and we are powerless to be productive.

5. Failure
I have seen many leaders with self-sabotaging traits stemming from an unhealthy perspective toward failure. Some leaders live with a nagging sense of impending failure. They don’t believe they are good enough to succeed, and sooner or later they fulfill their self-expectations of failure. Other leaders refuse to take risks. By sticking to safe paths, they assure themselves of failing to have significant impact. Still other leaders allow failures to derail them. They see failure as a personal indictment rather than a step in the ongoing process of their growth as a leader.