The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham

loneliness, depression, and often discouragement. Only God’s

illimitable grace and peace can carry us through times of trial.”

Despite walking in the furnace of leadership all through his

career—carrying the weight and pressing the limits under “severe

discipline”—Billy has always been the apostle of hope. In betrayal

or deep tragedy, he has sought the insights and spiritual resources

that enabled him to, in the words of the Bible, “run the race and

finish the course.”

LEADERSHIP

LESSONS | Betrayal

Applying the Principles
As Scott Peck famously wrote as the terse opener of his bestseller,
The Road Less Traveled, “Life is difficult.”
So it is. Resilient leaders recognize that fact early, and they do
what they can to endure, to deepen and grow, and to keep leading.
So what can we do to prepare?

Train for the Next Emotional Hit
James E. Loehr, in his book Toughness Training for Life, points
out, “No matter where you are on the scale of rough times at
the moment, sooner or later even rougher times are going to
slam into your life. Crises and adversity are deeply woven into
the fabric of human existence.... Directly, or indirectly, calami-
ties and tragedies touch us all. Sometimes they strike like sledge-
hammers.”
Loehr trains athletes and executives, counseling them to be
realistic about future rough spots and to take action in specific
ways. “Train every day to get as tough as possible physically and
emotionally,” he advises, “to elevate your health, boost your pro-
ductivity, and expand your happiness... so that you will suffer
less devastation when you absorb your next emotional hit.”
It’s not pleasant to think an emotional hit is ahead, but it is
realistic. Loehr provides a detailed game plan, advising us to get

The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham