Cultivating & Nurturing Resilience

The post Covid landscape in South Africa, coupled with negative economic growth, have been particularly challenging to both citizens and organisations alike. This has been exacerbated by ?incompetence, mismanagement, selfishness and the negligence of both business and government alike. This has led to uncertainty, record unemployment rates, high levels of debt and a high degree of stress felt by the majority of the populace. ?Loadshedding has resulted in an unprecedented disruption to production and caused immeasurable harm to the collective psyche of South Africans. ?

In the face of such daunting circumstances, cultivating resilience becomes crucial for individuals and business to navigate and overcome the challenges they face. In today’s disruptive business and personal landscape, the ability to positively respond and adapt to change and to persevere in the face of challenges and obstacles, is a key determinant of both success and wellbeing. ?Although some individuals are naturally more resilient than others, fortunately it is a skill that can be cultivated. A good place to start is to look at key characteristics that resilient individuals embody.

1. Emotional Regulation: The ability to regulate and manage one’s emotions means that they are able to remain calm and composed, even in stressful or overwhelming situations.
2. Positive Mindset: Resilient individuals maintain a positive view of the world, they find hope, optimism, and meaning in the face of adversity. People with a positive mindset or outlook, focus on strengths, possibilities, and opportunities for growth.
3. Adaptability: Flexibility and adaptability are critical in fostering resilience. Resilient individuals can adjust their thoughts, behaviours, and strategies to cope with changing circumstances.
4. Problem-Solving Skills: Resilient individuals are effective problem solvers, able to analyse challenges, generate solutions, and take appropriate actions to overcome obstacles. They do not react to situations, but rather respond to them, remaining in control of their options and choices.
5. Social Support: Resilient individuals know that they cannot exist as an island. They seek and maintain supportive relationships, relying on social connections for emotional support, guidance, and encouragement during difficult times.
6. Confidence: Resilient individuals have confidence in their own abilities to handle challenges and believe in their capacity to recover and thrive.

Resilience empowers individuals to not only endure and overcome adversity but also to embrace it as an opportunity for personal growth and development. It is the inner strength that allows individuals to not only weather life's storms but also to learn valuable lessons from them. Resilience is not just about enduring challenges, but about embracing them as catalysts for personal development, growth, and success in various areas of life. It is a valuable attribute that contributes to overall happiness, success, and fulfilment.

I have often been asked how resilience applies to a company. The answer I always give, is that the resilience of a company is determined by the resilience of its leadership team. An organisation that wishes to cultivate a resilient culture should start by adding resilience training as part of its Leadership Development Programme.

Over the last few years Human Capital Matters (HCM) have run numerous resilience workshops at Corporates and have made it a critical component of our coaching programmes (to find out more about HCM’s offerings, go to www.humancapitalmatters.org). I still believe that resilience is more than ever, a core competency of leadership.

Article by: Tani Moodley & Ravi Moodley