Maturity
Author Unknown
This piece is over 30 years old. The original paper has turned yellow and started to decay. It represents what I think is critical for a leader—maturity, not age. It has been and will be one of the measurements for how I define leadership. Feel free to copy.
Maturity is the ability to control anger and settle differences without violence.
Maturity is patience. It is a willingness to pass up immediate pleasure in favor of a long-term gain.
Maturity is perseverance, the ability to sweat out a project or a situation despite heavy opposition and discouraging setbacks.
Maturity is the capacity to face unpleasantness, frustration, discomfort, and defeat without complaint or collapse.
Maturity is being big enough to say, “I was wrong.” And, when suitable, the mature person need not experience the satisfaction of saying, “I told you so.”
Maturity is the ability to make a decision and stand by it. The immature spend their lives exploring endless possibilities and then do nothing.
Maturity means dependability, keeping one’s word, and coming through in a crisis. The immature are masters of the alibi. They are confused and conflicted. Their lives are a maze of broken promises, former friends, unfinished business, and good intentions that somehow never materialize.
Maturity is the art of living in peace with what we cannot change, the courage to change what should be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference.
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