Among the finalists for the winning R-word are REPUGNANT, REPULSIVE, and RIDICULOUS. April Fool! I couldn’t RESIST. Shame on me.
Actually, finalists for the winning R-word are RATIONAL, REALISTIC, REASSURING, REFLECTIVE, RELIABLE, RESILIENT, RESOLUTE, RESPECTED, RESPECTFUL, and RESPONSIBLE. Among the finalists, I chose RESILIENT.
There’s a reason for the word cauldron being linked to leadership. Many authors have referred to leadership lessons learned in a cauldron. The metaphor captures the trials and tribulations many leaders face. I understood why the metaphor was used during my first three years as UA’s chancellor. I learned, no matter how good the leader is, there will be times when the going gets really tough and the leader must be RESILIENT.
The Oxford dictionary defines RESILIENT differently, depending on whether it is an attribute of a person or of a substance or object. A RESILIENT person is someone who withstands or recovers quickly from difficult conditions; whereas, a RESILIENT substance or object recoils or springs back into shape after being bent, stretched, or compressed. Of the two, I like the latter because it reminds me of shape-memory alloys, such as the nickel-titanium alloy Nitinol. When it is cold, you can bend it into a variety of shapes; however, when heated it returns (or reverts) to its original shape.
In Why It Matters, I used a shape-memory alloy as a metaphor to describe what can happen to an organization when it is stressed. I said, “The challenge in changing an organization’s culture is its ingrained memory. Not unlike metal alloys possessing shape memory, an organization’s culture over time can revert to what it was before a new leader changed it.” Later, I said, “Don’t be surprised if, after you leave an organization, several of the changes you enacted disappear. Also, don’t be surprised if you hear about it from people who resisted those changes when you were the leader.”
In discussing paradoxes, I addressed the need for a leader to be both vulnerable and RESILIENT. I said, “Being strong enough to expose your vulnerability to your followers is one thing. Showing vulnerability to your competition or to outsiders is quite another. People want to be led by someone who is resilient and able to handle attacks, who can withstand the storm, deal with criticism, and appear undaunted in the face of devastating conditions. People want leaders to be strong and unwavering when the going gets tough.” [Underline added]
Tyson Foods’ former CEO, Donnie Smith, in a LeadershipWWEB interview , talks about the importance of a leader being RESILIENT. He says, “… when the storm winds are howling and waves are crashing over the bow of the boat at sea, the people in the boat need to see the captain up on the front of the boat with his arm on the rail, smoking a cigar, going ‘keep rowing, it’s fine, we’ve got this.’” The leader must be RESILIENT.
It wasn’t easy choosing the winning R-word. RELIABLE was in the lead rounding the turn, but RESILIENT nosed it out at the finish line. Even though it wasn’t the winner, I consider RELIABLE to be a necessary attribute for an exemplary leader.
You want your leader to be someone you can count on, someone you can rely on, especially during tough times. For this reason, I decided I would send a signed copy of Why It Matters to the first person to nominate RELIABLE for the R-word. However, as for RESILIENT, no one nominated RELIABLE. (The alphabet game has turned out to be tougher than anticipated, just as leadership will turn out to be tougher than anticipated for those who are attracted to it because of the title, not the responsibility–those who want to BE leader, but not DO leader. )
Next: Leadership ABCs—S
Rules for the game to receive a signed copy of Why It Matters: 1) limited to U.S.A. mailing addresses; 2) limited to a single selection for the word; 3) cannot submit entry sooner than one week before the blog is posted on LinkedIn; 4) be the first correct entry I receive; and 5) send entries to me at johnaustinwhitejr@gmail.com. The earliest you can submit your S-word entry is 12:00 am, EDT, April 8, 2026; the latest time is 12:00 am, EDT, April 15, 2026.
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[i] John A. White, Why It Matters: Reflections on Practical Leadership, Greenleaf Book Group Press, Austin, TX, p. 148.
[ii] Ibid, p. 95.
[iii] See https://soundcloud.com/user-561194034/.
[iv] White, pp. 44-49.
