????最近，我們看到許多女性領導者面臨嚴峻的挑戰，最終錘煉出更卓越的領導能力。比如，通用汽車（GM）CEO瑪麗?巴拉、美聯儲（U.S. Federal Reserve）主席珍妮特?耶倫、德國總理安吉拉?默克爾和國際貨幣基金組織（IMF）總裁克里斯蒂娜?拉加德等。這些女性領導的公司、國家和全球金融機構，經歷了前所未見的歷史性事件。雖然她們看上去沉著而果斷，但我猜想，在很多時刻，她們可能感到身處自己的舒適區之外——超越了她們的學習區；處在恐懼的邊緣，進入了完全未知的領域。

????但“那些打不倒你的東西會讓你更強大”這句話，的確很有道理。逆境會讓一個人變得更強大，能夠培養出更優秀的領導者。事實上，創新領導力中心（Center for Creative Leadership）的報告顯示，超過66%的領導力可以通過接受挑戰來培養。雖然你我不可能像通用克萊斯勒（GM Chrysler）或美聯儲的領導者那樣，動輒面對數十億美元的全球挑戰，但我們也會遇到個人和職業上的挑戰，同樣可以從中學習和培養新的領導能力。

????我自己最近也有過一段讓我驚恐失措的經歷。在發現自己患有不孕癥之后，我經受了一段為期兩年的掙扎期。這件事令我震驚，顛覆了我的世界觀，更毀掉了我的個人與職業生活。我無法承受這樣的挑戰；我必須學習新的知識，培養新的技能，承擔巨大的風險。對我而言，這是最糟糕但也是最好的一段經歷，我可以坦誠地說，經歷過此次令人難以置信的挑戰之后，我變成了一個更聰明的人、一位更好的領導者。

????在與各位領導者合作期間，我經常用甜甜圈來形容我們生活和學習的方式。甜甜圈洞里面的生活代表我們的舒適區。在這里，生活是安全的、熟悉的、舒適的，可能還有一點無聊。相反，甜甜圈上面的生活則是我們的學習區。我們在這里成長、拓展和嘗試。在這里，我們感覺更有活力、受到鼓舞，并保持清醒。大多數領導者都位于學習區，在不斷地學習、成長和發展。而在甜甜圈邊緣的生活，便是學習區的外邊緣。這里便是恐懼邊緣，大多數人——即便優秀的領導者——都無法突破這個區域。

????多年來，我一直在培訓全世界的領導者如何避免恐懼邊緣。我甚至對他們說，凡是有自知之明的人，都會控制自己的生活，讓自己始終處在學習區內。而且到目前為止，我也是這么做的。我在學習區內為自己精心設計了精彩的生活和職業，但與不孕癥的戰斗卻將我推到了恐懼邊緣。我并非要將自己的挑戰，與帶領通用汽車解決史上規模最大的汽車召回相提并論，但這些女性領導者恐怕自己也沒有想到，她們會面臨如此艱巨的挑戰。然而，她們還是勇敢地面對這些挑戰。只要突破恐懼邊緣，你便會產生驚人的靈感、成長和非凡的領導力。

????如何讓自己變得更強大？一個詞：勇氣。心理學家一致認為，勇氣，即面對困難時的膽量和決心，是克服障礙、挫折、挑戰和逆境的最大因素。有勇氣的人更有毅力、決心和積極性。走出舒適區和學習區，突破恐懼邊緣之后，勇氣將成為在逆境中成功、領導或管理的關鍵所在。這正是我克服挑戰的法寶，而且我可以肯定地說，瑪麗?巴拉、珍妮特?耶倫和其他女性領導者肯定也掌握了這個法寶。

????Recently, we’ve seen examples of women leaders facing tremendous challenges and developing even greater leadership skills as a result—think GM CEO Mary Barra, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, IMF head Christine Lagarde, etc. These women lead companies, countries, and global financial markets through unprecedented historical events. While impressively composed and decisive on the outside, I imagine there were many points at which they felt outside their comfort zone — beyond their learning zone; and on terror’s edge, leading into unchartered territories.

????There’s a lot of truth, however, when they say, ‘what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.’ Adversity can make us stronger people and better leaders. In fact, the Center for Creative Leadership reports that over 66% of leadership capabilities are forged through challenges. While you and I may never face multi-billion global challenges like the leaders of GMGM 3.62% Chrysler or the Fed, we do face our own personal and professional challenges from which we can learn and forge new leadership skills.

????In my own case, I recently experienced something that took me beyond my terror’s edge. I went through a two-year odyssey with infertility that shook me to my core, rocked my worldview, and disrupted every aspect of my life personally and professionally. I couldn’t just work my way through this challenge; I had to learn new things, develop new skills, and take huge risks. It was both the worst and best experience of my life, and I can honestly say that I am a wiser person and better leader after this incredible challenge. (Click here to watch my TedX talk on Navigating Infertility).

????In my work with leaders, I often use the image of a donut to help describe the way we live and learn. Life inside the donut hole represents our comfort zone. That’s where life is safe, familiar, comfortable, and potentially a little boring. Conversely, life on the donut reflects our learning zone. This is where we grow, stretch and experiment. This is where we feel alive, inspired and awake. This is where most leaders live, constantly learning, growing and developing. Now, life on the edge of the donut is the outer edge of our learning zone. This is terror’s edge, and most people—even good leaders—never get past it.

????For years, I taught leaders around the globe to avoid terror’s edge. I went so far as to say that people who are self-aware can control their lives so that they stay in the learning zone. And up until recently, I had done that myself. I had crafted a pretty amazing life and a pretty wonderful career in my learning zone, but then my battle with infertility pushed me beyond my terror’s edge. I am not comparing my challenge with that of navigating GM through the largest automotive recall in history, but those female leaders probably never imagined they would face the extraordinary challenges they did. But face them they did. Pushing past terror’s edge is where tremendous inspiration, growth and extraordinary leadership can emerge.

????How do you come out stronger? In a word, grit. Psychologists have long maintained that grit—courage and firmness in the face of hardship—is the single biggest factor to overcoming obstacles, setbacks, challenges and adversity. People with grit maintain their stamina, determination and motivation. When you are outside your comfort and learning zones and beyond terror’s edge, grit is the key to succeeding, leading, or managing through adversity. It’s how I got through my challenge and I imagine that Mary Barra, Janet Yellen, and their cohorts have it in spades.