The Leadership Gift of Struggle

Every leader I have admired carried a scar. Some were visible. Some were buried deep inside. But all of them knew that the mark of leadership is not the absence of struggle—it is the re-framing of struggle into opportunity.

Jack of Hearts

There are moments when doubt speaks louder than belief. When sadness weighs heavier than excitement. When the future feels uncertain and the present feels inadequate. In these moments, it is easy to ask, “Is this working? Am I enough?”

The truth is, struggle is not a sign of weakness. It is the forge of strength. Marcus Aurelius wrote, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Struggle is not something to be escaped but something to be re-imagined.

A trip away from family can feel like absence. But re-framed, it becomes a chance to cherish connection more deeply, to remember what truly matters. A difficult renewal conversation can feel like rejection. But re-framed, it is an education, sharpening resilience and clarity for the next one. A professional doubt can feel like a verdict. But re-framed, it becomes an invitation to learn, to grow, to stretch beyond what feels safe.

The work of leadership is the work of re-

framing. Not once. Not occasionally. But daily. We do not choose our circumstances, but we always choose our lens.

General Eisenhower said, “Pessimism never won any battle.” The leader’s job is to find optimism in the face of resistance—not blind optimism, but earned optimism. The kind that emerges from facing life’s blows and declaring: This too can serve me. This too can build me.

Struggle is inevitable. Growth is optional. The difference is in how we frame the story. This is the gift of struggle.