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In the first part of this series, we established that having guts—based on a clear understanding of what you’re getting into—as well as the ability to act as an ambassador from the future, is the first step in leading a successful enterprise transformation.

Now, consider this: When we talk about the most critical quality that will determine if you are able to sustain your transformation, it all comes down to intestinal fortitude.

Only The Gritty Need Apply

There’s simply no way to sugarcoat the truth: transformations are messy, risky endeavors.

Transformations almost always require many, large, critical initiatives to be executed simultaneously, without losing any altitude in current performance. The additional demands of reviewing and reinventing fundamental processes, technology, and workforce competencies risk exhausting the enterprise resources.

If you’ve got the grit to enter into a transformation, then you need the intestinal fortitude to maintain your vision—as well as today’s objectives—which means establishing and communicating a very clear commitment to the end-state of the transformation throughout your organization.

Only when people are enrolled in your long-term goals will they exhibit the needed stamina to push a transformation forward, especially over the long haul.

Leading with Stamina

Transformations are not only messy, but they can be exhausting endeavors — requiring incomparable mental dedication. This means, from the C-level to your boots on the ground, a deep commitment backed by a concentrated level of participation is required.

Moreover, what keeps everyone engaged, marching toward the result of transformation? The answer: A transformational leader.

Transformational leaders are found not only on executive teams but also throughout every level of an organization. They are the people who can pragmatically balance the needs of today while also leading the charge toward transformation by inspiring and motivating those around them.

However, empowering your transformational leaders—or even building them — isn’t as easy just flipping a switch. Rather, it is a process of reinvention. That is the topic of the next post in this series: Leading an Enterprise Transformation: Part III — Reinvention.