We have been experiencing rapidly changing, unpredictable times and thus the term “resilience” has gained significance in both business and in life.?
In the dynamic landscape of modern business, the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change, and maintain a steady course through turbulence is invaluable. This resilience is not just a desirable trait but a fundamental pillar of effective leadership.?
- Understand and accept that obstacles will arise, no matter what. There is not one person on this planet who has had a perfect, happy personal and professional live, without any hardship. When it happens to you, don’t waste time and energy on the “why me?”.
- Compartmentalise your attention. Apply some nice stoic wisdom and focus your attention to things you can change, rather than things out of your power. Also, make an effort to notice the positive things too. Negative emotions show up strong, we are wired to it for survival, but don’t let them overshadow the good moments.
- Adapt your goals and methods freely. Encouraging flexibility and innovation in the face of challenges is crucial to survival. Resilient leaders embrace change and uncertainty. They adopt a growth mindset, and view challenges as opportunities for learning and development.
- Think long-term, at all times. This comes back to your fundamental understanding of “what goes around comes around”. Even when things are quiet and calm, make sure to save resources - both mental and monetary - for unexpected events.?
A company is resilient when it is made up of resilient people. Resilience, however, is not a personality trait, it is a teachable and learnable skill (as pointed out above).
Building a resilient organisation is a communal effort. Executives need to lead with example and provide support and guidance for the team to find ways of coping at difficult times.
Now, lets look at how companies can support their employees in becoming and staying more resilient:
- Recognise the organisation’s responsibility in providing appropriate support to employees in hard times, whether they are personal or business-related.
- Create a culture of shared responsibility around resilience.?
- Before asking your teams to be resilient, think seriously about whether or not the adversity they are facing can be reduced. For example: Consider offering more flexible working hours for an employee who is struggling to balance work and family obligations, before encouraging them to stay strong during the challenging time.?
- Make sure you provide the right kind of support to every individual. Taking the previous example, a parent might need more flexible working hours to meet their productivity goals and a younger, less affluent employee might need an office space to get their work done on time.
- You have to collectively learn from previous crisis, throw away processes and strategies that failed and implement the ones that worked even better for next time.
Remember: Building resilience is not a one-time effort; it's a continuous journey of personal and professional development. By integrating these strategies into daily routines, organisations can forge a path of enduring strength and influence.
