Answer:
Fortitude refers to the strength of mind that means possessing the emotional power and the ability to withstand adversity with courage. Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. People with mental fortitude do not let external circumstances affect them in a negative way.
Reasons people turn to leaders with fortitude during crisis:

• They lead from the front during a crisis: A leader projects confidence and steadiness and takes complete charge of the situation presenting a structured and systematic approach to crisis management. For example: One of Theodore Roosevelt’s formative real-time leadership experiences was leading his regiment in the Spanish-American War.
• They are decisive and adaptable: People look for guidance and clear instruction from a leader who can take quick decisions or hard decisions and are open to adapting their decisions to suit the situation. For eg: the role played by Sardar Patel in integration of princely states particularly Junagadh and Hyderabad.
• Control the chaos: In an immediate crisis, a work environment can very quickly devolve to chaos because of all the emotions running high, with stress and fear being at the forefront. Here, a leader with fortitude takes control and stops the panic from spreading. For eg: the new economic reforms brought by the Government of India in 1991 when India faced its worst economic crisis and was on the brink of a sovereign default.\
• Fuel optimism for a future worth working toward: By spreading ‘positive emotional contagion’ through trust, compassion, stability and hope, a leader with fortitude transforms shared adversity into a catalyst for growth. For e.g.: Opposing the apartheid system, Nelson Mandela provided hope to the people for an egalitarian and democratic South Africa.
• They coach others around key principles: They act as role models by consistently upholding core values and principles and reinforcing their importance on an on-going basis. For eg: Gandhiji continued to emphasize on the core values like non-violence, truth and constructive work during India’s freedom struggle.

Fortitude doesn’t develop overnight; it takes time to build. The best way to develop fortitude is to keep challenging oneself and working at one’s goals with unwavering commitment. Every time one feels like giving up, one should let the inner voice speak up and say: “I can do this. I need to do this.”