How can you be a resilient leader?
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— The LinkedIn Team
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, cope with uncertainty, and adapt to change. It is a vital skill for leaders who face complex and dynamic challenges in their roles. But how can you develop and strengthen your resilience as a leader? Here are some tips and strategies to help you.
Assess your resilience
The first step to becoming a more resilient leader is to understand your current level of resilience and identify your strengths and areas for improvement. You can use self-assessment tools, such as the Resilience Scale or the Resilience Questionnaire, to measure your resilience and get feedback on your coping skills, emotional regulation, optimism, and social support. You can also ask for honest and constructive feedback from your peers, mentors, or coaches on how you handle stress and setbacks.
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Understanding oneself is foundational to resilience. When a leader is self-aware, they are better equipped to recognize when they're approaching burnout, when they need to seek support, and how best to navigate challenges based on their personal strengths and weaknesses. Self-awareness is not just about recognizing your emotions and behaviours but also about understanding the root causes behind them and using that knowledge to navigate leadership challenges effectively. As with any skill, it requires continuous effort and practice, but the rewards in terms of leadership effectiveness and resilience are substantial.
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One thing I have found to be helpful is to understand my relationship with resilience. How am I being when resilience requires a response? How am I being with courage? How am I being with anxiety? The healthy and unhealthy relationships we have with these and other ways of being determine the outcomes of our experiences.
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Cultivate a growth mindset
A growth mindset is the belief that you can learn and improve your abilities through effort and feedback. It helps you embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and seek new opportunities for growth. A growth mindset also helps you avoid the trap of perfectionism, which can undermine your resilience and confidence. To cultivate a growth mindset, you need to reframe your negative thoughts, celebrate your progress, and appreciate the feedback you receive.
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A growth mindset is intrinsic to resilience. Leaders who view challenges as learning opportunities are better equipped to bounce back from setbacks. They also foster an environment where their teams are not afraid of making mistakes, but rather, they see them as valuable learning experiences. In essence, fostering a growth mindset is not only beneficial for personal development but is also a cornerstone for effective, resilient leadership. By seeing challenges as opportunities and believing in the potential for growth, leaders can navigate the complexities of their roles with agility and inspire their teams to do the same.
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In today's polarized world, resilience is the bedrock of effective leadership. My journey began at 15, navigating spaces not designed for someone like me. My resilience enabled me to forge my unique path. To lead with resilience, nurture self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Foster a positive mindset and transparent communication to steer your team through trials. Prioritize their well-being, modelling work-life balance. Embrace failures as vital lessons and empower your team to decide. Commend even the smallest victories to elevate spirits. Remember, resilience isn't just about bouncing back—it's about bouncing forward, learning, and emerging stronger from each obstacle.
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Practice self-care
Self-care is not a luxury, but a necessity for resilient leaders. It means taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and setting healthy boundaries between your work and personal life. Self-care can include activities such as exercise, meditation, hobbies, socializing, or anything that makes you feel relaxed and energized. Self-care can also help you prevent burnout, which can impair your resilience and performance.
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As managers, this means we must ruthlessly prioritise our time. In the same way we make trade-offs for our team's work, we must make trade-offs for our own time. Say no more often, and set healthy boundaries. We must be physically and emotionally available to our team, and ourselves! By booking breaks and padding between meetings, we can look after ourselves and signal to our team that we really value self care and it's not an afterthought. Self-care isn't about going on a yoga retreat, or a week off (thought that IS nice!). It's about consistently prioritising your wellbeing in tiny moments, every day.
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Self care is not selfish. I see it as an imperative. As leaders who we are is how we lead. And if we aren't taking care of ourselves, we won't get to be as impactful as we can be. If we are stressed, anxious, burnt-out or exhausted, this not only hurts us but hurts those who need and rely on our influence. Self care is a non negotiable and absolutely important for maintaining resiliency.
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Build a support network
You don't have to face challenges alone. You can rely on your support network of colleagues, friends, family, or mentors who can offer you advice, encouragement, or empathy. A support network can also help you gain different perspectives, learn new skills, or find new opportunities. To build a strong support network, you need to be proactive, reciprocal, and authentic. You need to reach out to others, offer your help and gratitude, and share your feelings and experiences.
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📣 A resilient leader is a part of a dynamic team! 📣 Curating a supportive #network is the foundation of #resilience without overwhelm! It is critical that #leaders learn how to leverage #colleagues, #mentors, #sponsors, & #allies for sustained success. We must all remember that #leadership is a team sport and #exceptional #leaders understand that it takes a team with a growth #mindset to move forward! #LeadLoudly #bold #confident #fearless #leadership #mindset #skillset #vision
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As a resilient leader, we must have a strong support network. This includes our personal board of advisors and mentors. It is also important that we continue to invest in learning and development.
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Learn from others
Another way to boost your resilience is to learn from other leaders who have overcome adversity and achieved success. You can read their stories, watch their interviews, or attend their events. You can also seek mentors or role models who can inspire you, guide you, or challenge you. Learning from others can help you gain insights, inspiration, or motivation. It can also help you develop new skills, strategies, or mindsets that can enhance your resilience.
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Yes, you do not have to experience things that have already been. Trust in what they said they have learned. This can work for those negative experience or stories too. So, if you have had that difficult manager...learn what not to do. This is part of the Cultivate a growth mindset. If needed, research to find the stories that fit and resonate with you.
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You can learn a lot from other leaders who have faced adversity. Their stories and wisdom provide valuable perspectives. However, while external role models can motivate and inspire us, the most empowering resilience comes from within. More than simply modelling others, the most extraordinary resilience is cultivated through self-discovery. By looking inward, getting to know our deepest values, strengths and purpose, we can build an inner compass to navigate life's challenges. Rather than reacting, we respond from a place of self-awareness. So yes, learn from resilient leaders or without. But also learn from yourself or within.
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Embrace change
Change is inevitable and unavoidable in today's world. Resilient leaders are not afraid of change, but rather see it as an opportunity to grow, innovate, or transform. They are flexible, agile, and curious. They are open to new ideas, feedback, or perspectives. They are willing to experiment, take risks, or fail. To embrace change, you need to be aware of your emotions, beliefs, and assumptions that may hinder your adaptability. You also need to communicate clearly, collaborate effectively, and seek feedback from others.
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Adaptability is intrinsically linked to resilience. A leader who is adaptable can not only recover from setbacks more quickly but can also pivot and find new avenues of opportunity in the face of challenges. Adaptability ensures that leaders, and by extension their organizations, remain relevant, efficient, and effective regardless of external changes. Adaptability is more than just reacting to change; it's about anticipating, preparing for, and leveraging change for growth. Resilient leaders understand that the only constant is change itself, and they equip themselves and their organizations to navigate it successfully.
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I think that being resilient isn't bouncing back to the same old way. It's more about the ability to bounce forward. As mentioned, change is going to happen. Regardless if you are prepared, you will experience stress during change. If you manage your stress during times of change, this will help you bounce forward. The more you do this, the more resilient you will become.
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Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
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Remember, resilience isn't just about enduring hard times; it's about growing and thriving as a result of them. By integrating these principles into your leadership style, you can navigate challenges more effectively and inspire those around you to do the same.
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Resilient leadership involves: 1. Self-awareness Understand emotions, strengths, and reactions. 2. Embrace Change Adapt and use change to your advantage. 3. Continuous Learning Have a growth mindset; learn from experiences. 4. Build Relationships: Cultivate a supportive network for varied perspectives. 5. Optimism Keep a positive outlook to inspire others. 6. Self-Care Maintain physical and mental health through balance and rest. 7. Set Boundaries Differentiate between work and personal time. 8. Seek Feedback Continually refine your leadership based on input. 9. Empower Others Trust and delegate to foster team resilience. 10. Reflect Assess challenges and decisions for growth. These strategies will better equip you to build resilience.
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