Challenge is the opportunity for greatness.
People do their best when there’s the chance to change the way things are. Maintaining the status quo simply breeds mediocrity.
Leaders seek and accept challenging opportunities to test their
abilities. They motivate others as well to exceed their self-
perceived limits. They seize initiative and make something
meaningful happen. Leaders treat every assignment as an
adventure.
Most innovations do not come from leaders—they come
from the people closest to the work. They also come from
outsight. Exemplary leaders look for good ideas everywhere.
They promote external communication. They listen, take
advice, and learn.
Progress is not made in giant leaps; it’s made incre-
mentally. Exemplary leaders move forward in small steps with
little victories. They turn adversity into advantage, setbacks
into successes. They persevere with grit and determination.
Leaders venture out. They test and they take risks with
bold ideas. And because risk-taking involves mistakes and
failure, leaders accept the inevitable disappointments and
treat them as opportunities for learning and growth.
In the next two chapters, we will see how you must
• Search for Opportunities by seizing the
initiative and looking outward for innovative
ways to improve.
• Experiment and Take Risks by constantly
generating small wins