Learning leadership skills through martial arts

Becoming a great leader takes time, practice and a plethora of skills. However, you don’t have to take classes in leadership to develop the traits and abilities most often associated with positions of authority. Martial arts can also teach such skills. Here are three traits all leaders should have that martial arts may help you learn:

1. Perseverance
As with any position, leadership roles come with ups and downs. However, leaders may feel the impact of mistakes or challenges even more because they bear the burden of responsibility. But when the going gets tough, good leaders have to persevere, not only to maintain their role, but also to motivate and support their staff. Martial artists also require perseverance.

From mastering difficult moves to pushing on during a losing sparring match to just getting through a tough day of training, practitioners face all sorts of odds. The persistence and determination you learn from picking yourself up off a mat can be useful outside of the dojo as well.

2. Confidence
Because other people look to leaders for guidance, the individual in the spotlight should be confident. While that doesn’t mean you have to be 100 percent certain all the time, it does mean that knowing why you’ve made certain decisions and that those are the right choices is beneficial.

Building confidence is a lifelong journey that’s sure to have ups and downs. Actively working toward establishing positivity can improve your leadership capabilities. Martial arts helps you achieve fitness and physical-skills goals, which naturally contributes to confidence.

3. Discipline
Discipline can cover many facets of life, from helping you handle delicate situations with care to managing your time and resources wisely. Martial arts encourage students to develop discipline by challenging you and having you follow specific codes of conduct.