My friend Dr. Richard Blackaby wrote an essay titled “The Time for Leaders.”  He began it this way:

“Historians have long debated the question of whether history makes great leaders or whether great leaders make history. Is it possible to be a great leader without facing adversity? Generals do not become famous in peacetime. They only maximize their leadership capacity in battle. True leaders don’t complain about adversity; they thrive in it.

American historians have argued over who the greatest American presidents have been. One study rated the top five presidents as: Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry Truman. Each of these men faced enormous challenges. Lincoln led during arguably America’s severest crisis. Franklin Roosevelt presided during the Great Depression as well as World War Two. Washington guided the infant Republic against England, the reigning superpower. He also had to overcome numerous internal forces seeking to tear the fledgling nation asunder. Theodore Roosevelt contended with both military and economic crises. Harry Truman’s tenure covered the close of World War Two and the Korean War. The question is: Did these leaders enable their nation to overcome adversity or was it the challenges of their times that propelled them above their contemporaries?”

It may well be that other American presidents were equally as talented as these five, but the circumstance that governed their presidencies were not so dramatic. We will never know. The same can be said for big business. Jack Welch, the long-time head of General Electric, made the company an industry icon and himself the most decorated CEO of his era, one that witnessed both prosperity and calamity. Could someone else have done it as well, or even better?

Chances are, you have not been placed in a leadership position to simply nurture goodwill. But leading in times of ease, when things are going well in business, the marketplace, or life circumstances, may not bring out your greatest leadership skills.

True leaders shine in times of crisis and turmoil, when the average person feels submerged by the waves of challenge and change. Whether in business, politics, war — or simply the domestic issues that face us daily: marriage, children, and parents — leaders will rise to the occasion more often than not.

Tags: Advice, Business Development, Business Tips, Courage, Crisis Management, Determination, Developing Leaders, Drive, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Learning, Motivation, Personal Development, Success, The Mind of a Leader, Values