Can You Lead When the Pressure’s On? Unlocking the Fundamentals of Being a Resilient Leader

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In leadership, challenges aren’t optional, they’re inevitable.

A crisis demands your immediate action. A curveball disrupts your well-laid plans. A setback tests your resolve. And sometimes, your personal life challenges spill over into work.

These moments, and many more, define your ability to lead.

In today’s fast-paced, uncertain world, resilience isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential. Leaders who persist through adversity inspire their teams to do the same, creating a ripple effect of strength, adaptability, and optimism.

So what is it? Resilience is the ability to adapt, recover, and grow stronger in the face of adversity, challenges, or significant stress. It’s not about avoiding difficulties but about how you respond to them, bouncing back, finding solutions, and maintaining a sense of purpose even in tough times.

Resilience is what bridges the gap between facing challenges and thriving through them.

Resilience is both a skill and a mindset. While some people may have a natural tendency to be resilient, it can be cultivated through self-awareness, strong relationships, healthy habits, and a positive perspective on growth and change

"I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again…"

Chumbawamba’s lyrics from Tubthumping capture the spirit of resilience perfectly. When life or leadership knocks you down, what helps you rise?

Leaders who excel under pressure often have one thing in common, they bounce back stronger. This ability comes from:

• Self-Awareness: Understanding your triggers and stress responses. Tools like Harrison Assessments help leaders identify strengths, such as optimism and stress management, that fuel recovery. Harrison has a measurable competency of Resilience and Perseverance - "Persists in the face of adversity, obstacles, or setbacks including effectively managing a crisis and quickly adapting to change" and other reports to support development of this competence. Knowing your patterns can help you make intentional changes to strengthen your resilience.
• Habits of Renewal: Whether it’s seeking support, practicing mindfulness, or reflecting on lessons learned, resilient leaders make space to recover and recalibrate.

"Do Everything You Fear, In This There's Power…"

James’ lyrics remind us that fear isn’t the enemy, it’s an opportunity. So, what fears or challenges have you been avoiding? Could confronting them help you grow as a leader?

Resilient leaders embrace fear as a catalyst for growth. They face challenges head-on and reframe them as opportunities:

• In Crisis Management: They lean into tough decisions with clarity and courage.
• In Adapting to Change: They use uncertainty as a springboard for innovation and improvement.

Facing fear doesn’t mean ignoring risk; it means acting despite it, guided by preparation and purpose.

Resilience is Built in the Moments We Act Despite Uncertainty

Think back to a time when you overcame fear or failure. What inner strengths did you draw on? How can you apply those lessons to future challenges?

Resilience isn’t just about grit, it’s about growth:

• Grit: Pushing forward even when the outcome is uncertain.
• Reflection: Turning past experiences into wisdom.
• Connection: Drawing strength from your network, team, or mentors.

The Science of Resilience

Resilience is measurable and learnable. Here’s what some of the data tells us:

1. Resilience Improves Well-Being: Resilient individuals are less likely to experience depression and anxiety (APA, 2021).
2. Resilient Leaders Prevent Burnout: They’re 40% less likely to experience burnout and inspire better engagement in their teams (HBR, 2020).
3. Training Works: Programs focusing on resilience can increase workplace productivity by up to 25% (University of Pennsylvania).
4. Resilient Teams Thrive: They show 20% higher productivity and 30% lower turnover (SHRM, 2021).

Building Resilience: Practical Tools

Here are some actionable strategies to strengthen your resilience:

1. Understand Your Personal Blueprint: Tools like Harrison Assessments identify how you respond to stress and adversity, helping you make intentional changes.
2. Reframe Challenges: Ask, “What can I learn from this? How does this challenge make me a better leader /person?”
3. Prioritise Recovery: Build habits that replenish your energy, whether it’s through mindfulness, exercise, or time with loved ones.
4. Prepare for Pressure: Practice crisis simulations to boost your confidence and sharpen decision-making under stress.
5. Face Fear: Use fear as a guide to areas where growth is possible. Start small, take calculated risks, and expand your comfort zone.

and just for fun, some lessons from Cartoons Characters who teach Resilience

Cartoon characters can offer surprisingly relatable and insightful lessons about resilience and leadership. Here’s how Tigger and a few animated favourites embody key traits of mental toughness and adaptability: Which cartoon characters inspire your resilience?

Tigger (Winnie the Pooh): The Bounce-Back Expert

Tigger is a natural symbol of resilience. His unrelenting optimism and energy mean he’s always ready to bounce back, literally and metaphorically, after setbacks.

• Lesson for Leaders: Like Tigger, resilient leaders embrace challenges with enthusiasm and look for the silver lining in tough situations. His mantra, "Bouncing is what Tiggers do best," reminds us of the importance of persistence and joy, even in the face of adversity.

Mulan: Courage Under Pressure

Mulan demonstrates resilience through her bravery and determination to protect her family and country. Despite being doubted, she adapts to intense challenges, learns new skills, and leads her peers to victory.

• Lesson for Leaders: True resilience is about rising to the occasion and adapting to new roles or responsibilities, even when you feel out of your depth.

Dory (Finding Nemo): Just Keep Swimming

Dory’s forgetfulness could hold her back, but instead, she focuses on what she can do: keep swimming. Her unshakable positivity and perseverance inspire others to stay hopeful.

• Lesson for Leaders: Focus on forward momentum. Even when the path is unclear, taking consistent, small steps helps you progress and adapt to challenges.

Po (Kung Fu Panda): Turning Setbacks into Strength

Po’s journey is filled with failures and doubts, but his resilience and mental toughness shine as he uses each setback to grow stronger, mastering skills no one believed he could.

• Lesson for Leaders: Embrace failure as a part of the process. Each setback is an opportunity to learn and improve.

Resilience often begins with a decision: to keep going, keep growing, and keep believing in the possibility of something better.

The next time you’re knocked down, remember: it’s not about avoiding the fall; it’s about how you rise.

Strategic reflections:

Resilience is built in the moments we choose to act despite uncertainty.

• Reflecting on the last time you overcame fear or failure, what inner strengths did you tap into? How can you apply those lessons to future obstacles?
• What helps you bounce back when the pressure’s on?
• How are you building resilience in yourself and your team?

Let’s start the conversation. If you feel like you would like support to develop your mental toughness and resilience book a call.

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I'm Chrissie and I talk about Leadership Coaching and Development and Organisational Behavioural Analytics. I empower high achieving results driven business owners and leaders to create great employee experiences, realise their potential and grow their business?results

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