Unexpected Strength: Lessons in Resilience for Modern Managers

I never thought getting hit by a car would teach me the most valuable lesson of my career.?

But as I stood in a Chicago gym, celebrating my last session with a personal trainer, I realized that my journey from a hospital bed to strength training held the key to thriving in today's unpredictable business world.

What We Get Wrong About Strength: Resilience in an Uncertain World?

During my unexpected summer in Chicago, I decided to "splurge" on a personal trainer.

Though I was consistent in my workouts before, it was a new gym, and I thought it would be a good way to learn the layout and up my game.?

Habits are everything.

Today was my last day working with him, and I couldn't help but reflect on my journey getting here.

Just a few short years ago, I was in so much pain I struggled to get out of bed.

The Road to Resilience

?A freak hit and run crossing the street one evening left me with 8 screws in my neck (if possible, worse than it sounds).

This came only two short years after extensive hip surgeries that left me really uneven, with the back pain to go with it. Oh, and did I mention the knee surgery less than two years before that?

?It sounds like a lot because it was. But here's the thing - my physical journey mirrors what many of us face in our professional lives, especially in today's VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) work environment.?

The Turning Point: Asking for Help

Thankfully, during my journey of surgeries and personal loss, I'd learned the most important lesson: asking for help. I contacted the nutritionist/yoga instructor I'd met years before and did a two-week yoga detox intensive in Nicaragua (and yes, I've always been a bit unusual:) that got me back on course.?

Why do I tell you all this? It's not for pity or praise. It's a call to action to redefine how we manage difficult times, both personally and professionally.?

Redefining Strength in the Workplace

While I'm physically stronger from working with a personal trainer and having done that yoga detox years ago, my real strength came from learning to ask for help.?

For a lot of us (and I used to be at the top of the list), it's hard.

We're sold a false narrative that resilience is about going it alone. That somehow our successes are diminished if we ask others to support us.

I’ve learned that it's the opposite.

My work with my trainer pushed me harder and got me further than if I'd just showed up and tried to do it myself.?

And while it's easy to mistake this post to be about my personal journey in health, it's actually a map for professional success during difficult times.

Navigating in a VUCA World?

The world is changing fast. And like getting hit by a car, it's life-changing, disorienting, and can leave you wondering how you'll ever make it.

It begins by asking for help. Finding those people, those guides who know.?

It’s those people who can help you get "stronger" until you can go it alone or find the next person to take you to the next level.

Action Steps for Building Professional Resilience:?

1. Assess Your Situation: Take an honest look at your current professional challenges. Where do you feel stuck or overwhelmed? These are the areas where seeking help can make the biggest difference.?

2. Find Your Guides: Identify mentors, coaches, or experts in your field who can provide insights and push you to grow. Don't be afraid to reach out - remember, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

3. Create a Resilience Plan:

?? - List 3 key areas you want to develop professionally

?? - For each area, identify a person or resource that could help you grow

?? - Set specific, measurable goals for the next 3 months

?? - Schedule regular check-ins to assess your progress and adjust your approach

Just as I needed a personal trainer to push me physically, we all need guides to help us navigate the complexities of our professional lives.?

It's a strategic approach to becoming more resilient and successful in a world that often feels like it’s changing so fast that we’ll never be able to keep up.

Your journey to greater resilience begins now.

Embrace the power in asking for help and like me at the gym, you’ll put yourself on a path towards unlocking potential you never knew you had.?

And if you need guidance on this journey, remember - that's what coaches like me are here for.

Let's connect and explore how we can build your resilience together so that you can turn your professional "car crashes" into catalysts for growth and success.