Leadership and Resilience

Turbulence is common in any #business. Throughout its lifetime, any business should expect to ride the ebbs and flows of the economy, financial challenges, the impact of regulations, and #employee and #customer retention. Ambiguity and uncertainty lurk around every corner, demanding that executives be vigilant and resilient.

To an effective #leader, stumbling blocks or obstacles are merely temporary setbacks and open the door to #opportunity. They find solutions to continue pushing forward and avoid the “stuck” mentality which can overtake and derail those who are less effective, who lack resilience, and who are short on #positivity.

There are a wide array of characteristics and qualities that great and effective leaders possess. From perseverance to authenticity to vulnerability, leadership skills are essential to a person’s personal success but more importantly, the success of the business. There has never been a more crucial moment for leaders to lead their teams toward growth, productivity, and success than right now.

As the global success of enterprises is jeopardized, leadership's capacity to be resilient will become a critical tool and valuable resource for businesses in navigating the changing world and emerging in a stronger position than before.

7 Key Factors to Demonstrate Resilience

• Coachable. Resilient leaders accept feedback and use it as an opportunity to improve. They are coachable and humble, knowing that they have their weaknesses and are willing to take steps to change.

• Effective communicator. Resilient leaders understand the importance of communicating changes, expectations, and intentions to their team and employees. They effectively share to help others to understand.

• Risk-taker. Resilient leaders are willing to take a risk to overcome. They approach obstacles as an opportunity to creatively develop solutions even if it involves making a daring or risky decision.

• Develop relationships. Resilient leaders are fully aware that they cannot navigate challenges on their own. They develop trusting relationships with their employees and teams, whereby they can count on their support in good times and bad times.

• Learn from mistakes. Resilient leaders not only learn from their past mistakes but by developing others, they help others to learn and grow as well. They participate in and encourage professional development in others.

• Decision-maker. Resilient leaders effectively make decisions, taking into consideration the risks involved, assessing the relevant information, and taking action to move forward. They also understand that by not making a decision, they are essentially making a decision and the detriment that occurs because of their indecision.

• Change agent. Resilient leaders have a vision about where the organization is headed as well as what it takes to get it there. They are instrumental in implementing change and elicit the support and resources necessary to make it happen.

Being a leader is challenging and stressful and during times of crisis, it can place additional burden and strain on even the most seasoned professional. It is critical that resilient leaders first focus on themselves before they can have an impact on others and the difficulties in front of them.

4 Keys to Becoming More Resilient

1. Take care of yourself. An effective leader knows the importance of personal health and overall well-being. This includes sleep habits, diet, exercise, and managing stress. To be resilient in a leadership role, great leaders effectively manage their personal resiliency and ability to remain positive.

1. Refocus. During times of uncertainty, it is critical to be flexible and change directions quickly. Effective leaders can refocus their attention and set their sights on new goals when faced with adversity. Remember that adversity brings opportunity.

1. Purpose. Effective leaders are personally aware of their purpose both personally and professionally and draw on this to keep them grounded when plans become derailed and obstacles surface.

1. Reflection. No one is perfect and everyone can certainly make improvements. Effective leaders reflect on past experiences to understand the circumstances and how they can use what they learned to assist with the next challenge or setback.?

Resiliency is a skill that is necessary for all of us to move beyond our current circumstances and to not remain “stuck”. Rather than allowing adversity to weigh them down or halt progress, great leaders understand the value of it and strive to improve and take advantage of it.

Case Study:

When the oil and gas industry experienced intense and debilitating pressures, Southwestern Energy (SWN) took a top-down approach to reduce the effects of the stress and confusion that ensured. SWN’s strategy focused on teaching its managers how to lead through crises and change and how to build a culture of resilience within the organization. Leaders were open about their past experiences, blunders, and triumphs in an effort to impress on managers the need of mental, emotional, and physical well-being when dealing with uncertainty and volatility.

As team members saw and experienced a shift in mindset, they began to share with coworkers and spread a sense of accountability and empathy, and share an appreciation for teamwork in the face of adversity. Employees were urged to react to the demands of the environment without becoming stressed. The culture of resiliency has seeped into all corners of the SWN corporate plan and environment.

Conclusion:

Conflicts and problems are always present in every company. Leaders must know how to recover from those circumstances and take immediate actions to provide solutions. Communicating and accepting feedback from employees are very important, for this will help you determine what would be the next step to move forward. Leaders must know how to take risks in every decision that is made. Adapting and implementing the changes made is one of the leaders' roles for a company's success.?

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