As a leader, I have learned that resilience is one of the most important qualities to cultivate. The ability to adapt to challenges, bounce back from setbacks, and grow from difficult situations sets successful leaders apart. That's why I believe it's important to build resilience in all areas of our lives intentionally.
Let me share a bit of my own experience. My Workplace Big Five Profile indicates that I am responsive regarding my need for stability. This means I tend to be calm and steady in most situations but may experience stress or other negative emotions in response to surprises, pressures, difficult situations, or other stressful circumstances. However, I also tend to interpret situations with a high level of doubt and may experience self-doubt or discouragement in difficult situations. My rebound time is moderate, meaning getting beyond setbacks or crises takes reasonable time and effort. While I am not naturally resilient, I have cultivated the ability to handle workplace stress calmly and steadily most of the time. When faced with stress or other challenges, I take some time to exercise, engage in an enjoyable activity, or otherwise take my mind off the stress to settle back to normal. To keep up with the demands of my work and the unpredictable business environment, I have to be conscious and intentional about taking care of myself; being at my best enables me to serve my clients and team and do my best work.
Your ability to respond to stress calmly and steadily is an asset as a leader. However, it's also important to recognize when stress is causing you to doubt yourself or become discouraged and to take steps to address those feelings constructively. By building your resilience and learning to manage stress effectively, you can become an even more effective leader and help your team navigate challenging situations with confidence and resilience.
The Center for Creative Leadership has identified several strategies to help leaders build resilience. These practices help leaders develop physical, mental, emotional, and social resilience and can be tailored to meet individual needs and preferences. These are: increasing physical activity, getting enough sleep, boosting mindfulness, challenging your assumptions, savouring the sweet things, practising gratitude, building social connections and engaging your senses, including touch.
These eight resilient leadership practices have helped me build a more resilient mindset and develop the skills to navigate challenges and uncertainty in the workplace and beyond. By building physical, mental, emotional, and social resilience, you can become more adaptable, creative, and effective as a leader. It's certainly not a one-size fit, but the assortment of options enables you to create a formula that works for your unique capabilities and needs.
In addition to these specific practices, it's important to remember that building resilience is an ongoing process that requires continuous attention and effort. It's important to stay attuned to your needs and to be intentional about developing your resilience strategies. Some strategies may work better for you than others, so it's important to experiment and find what works best for you.
As a leader, your ability to model resilience and respond effectively to stress can have a powerful impact on your team. By cultivating your resilience, you can inspire and support your team to become more adaptable, creative, and effective in facing challenges. You can create a culture of resilience that promotes a positive outlook and a commitment to growth and learning.
Building resilience is an important part of becoming an effective and successful leader. By focusing on physical, mental, emotional, and social resilience and adopting the eight resilient leadership practices outlined here, you can confidently cultivate the skills to navigate challenges and uncertainty. As you continue to develop your resilience, you can inspire and support your team to become more adaptable and effective, creating a culture of resilience that can help you achieve your goals and thrive in the face of change and adversity.