How can you help team members build resilience and cope with stress?

1 Listen empathetically

One of the most important ways you can help your team members cope with stress is to listen to them empathetically. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It is not the same as sympathy, which is feeling sorry for someone. Empathy involves acknowledging and validating their emotions, without judging or trying to fix them. By listening empathetically, you show your team members that you care about them, that you respect their perspective, and that you are there to support them.

2 Encourage self-care

Another way you can help your team members cope with stress is to encourage them to practice self-care. Self-care is the act of taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It can include activities such as getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, meditating, relaxing, or pursuing hobbies. Self-care can help your team members reduce stress, boost their mood, and improve their performance. As a servant leader, you can model self-care by setting healthy boundaries, taking breaks, and asking for help when you need it. You can also create a culture of self-care by allowing flexibility, providing resources, and celebrating achievements.

3 Foster a growth mindset

A third way you can help your team members build resilience is to foster a growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and talents can be improved through effort and learning. It is opposed to a fixed mindset, which is the belief that abilities and talents are innate and unchangeable. A growth mindset can help your team members overcome challenges, embrace feedback, and learn from failures. As a servant leader, you can foster a growth mindset by praising effort and progress, not just results; by giving constructive and specific feedback, not just criticism; and by sharing your own struggles and learnings, not just successes.

5 Build a supportive community

A fifth way you can help your team members build resilience is to build a supportive community. A supportive community is a group of people who share common goals, values, and experiences, and who offer each other mutual respect, trust, and care. A supportive community can help your team members feel connected, valued, and appreciated. As a servant leader, you can build a supportive community by creating opportunities for collaboration, communication, and feedback; by promoting diversity, inclusion, and belonging; by recognizing and rewarding contributions; and by facilitating social and fun activities.

6 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?