Building Personal and Team Resilience through Challenging Times

Resilience - the ability to bounce back from setbacks and thrive during times of crisis, adversity or change - is a learnable trait, based on behaviors, thoughts and actions, that all of us can develop with intentionality and practice (McDonald et al., 2012).   

 While we all have varying degrees of resilience, there are many actions we can take in building our resilience muscles, the mental toughness and emotional endurance needed in persisting through challenging times.  And since there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, improving our resilience involves reflection. Our goal is to not only identify new tools and mechanisms for coping with our struggles, but also consider the strategies that may or may not have worked effectively for us in the past.

 For me, personally, resilience is an ongoing journey that started in my childhood. By age 18, I had been ‘uprooted’ at least 6 times – moving across cities, provinces/states and countries, as part of my father’s career. Failure to adapt was never a choice, so along with picking up new cultures, languages and friendships, I learned resilience. While none of these major life changes were particularly traumatic, they were filled with challenges and stressful times that required different coping mechanisms each time.

My take on the 4 S’s of Resilience (by the Center for Resilient Leadership)

 Think about some of your most challenging life experiences: the loss of a loved one, a traumatic event, a major change or stressful situation you tackled. How did you cope with and overcome the adverse circumstances?

• Self: What personal traits did you leverage to help you bounce back from adversity? (e.g. past experiences, determination, personal values, optimism, hope, self-compassion)
• Strategies: What strategies did you use in coping with any negative thoughts or feelings and keep going during these difficult times? (e.g. meditation, gratitude, exercise, music, massage, self-care)
• Support: What supportive people in your life did you lean in to, when you most needed advice, a listening ear, or general support? (e.g. family, friends, leaders, mentors, support groups)
• Solutions: What solution-seeking behaviors or actions helped you actively deal with the challenge at hand? (e.g. problem solving, learning new skills, gaining new knowledge, planning, speaking up, asking for help)

 Now – think about a major challenge you’re currently facing. Can any of your previously used tools be adapted or used in this new situation?

 Keeping flexibility in mind, what other mechanisms can you learn or try? Sometimes, even through a failed coping attempt, we can find a strategy that works… (meditation, personally, is one of those things that to this date I struggle to get into, but when I do… it actually helps!)

  Becoming a resilient leader (My lessons learned from HBS online):

• In times of change, effective leaders need to be prepared for constant adaptation, flexibility, and improvisation in pursuit of their mission – which, based on circumstances, may also have changed.
• Positive attitude and keeping a strong pulse on individual and team energy becomes as critical as focus and commitment.
• It is especially important to manage your ‘dissenters’ or challengers to prevent doubt and negativity from spreading. Teams need to believe in their ability to keep going. 
• A resilient leader maintains a relentless forward-facing outlook, keeping both the operational (day-to-day managing) and strategic (mission-focused) elements moving
• Most importantly: deeply caring and personally supporting your team is at the core of being a resilient leader. It helps build resilience in others.  

My Own Actionable Take-Aways

1. Connections matter.

• Prioritize the supportive relationships in your life – the trustworthy individuals that validate your feelings, help you process your struggles, and remind you that you’re not alone.
• Join a group, or other social support network, in case this is helpful to you in reclaiming hope.

2. Take care of yourself

• Wellness and self-care may seem over-used in our vocabulary these days, but stress is a physical, emotional and cognitive phenomenon, so exercise, nutrition and mindfulness do play a big part in staying resilient!
• Do something that fills your bucket: buffer the impact of stress and burnout by spending time doing things that give you energy, things you love.

3. Change your outlook or perspective

• Re-framing how you look at a situation and proactively focusing on the elements you can control can help empower you during difficult times.
• Accept change, try to maintain optimism and shift your mindset from ‘victim mode’ to ‘active survivor’. How does this simple shift change how you feel or think about a situation?

4. Keep a Growth mindset and solution focus

• Having a goal, mission, or purpose – even the slightest milestones to work towards – helps you stay motivated and keep going.
• Struggles often create the biggest opportunities for learning, despite all the vulnerability you may experience. Foster self-discovery by acknowledging your own emotions and reflecting back on personal growth experienced during adverse times.

5. Build resilience in others

• If you can, help others by being compassionate and supportive, by listening or helping them re-frame their thoughts, or brainstorming coping strategies or solution-focused mechanisms to bounce back.
• Be the light, shine the light, hold the light, or even better, help them find their way out of the darkness. They can do it, too.