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Building Leaders through Resilience
As a result of more than thirty years of study, organizational researchers have pinpointed a set of specific characteristics that strongly contribute to leadership success. These qualities have come to be known collectively as resilience.
Investigation into resilience was first initiated by researchers in the field of positive psychology, which is devoted to understanding how people develop traits associated with emotional strength and the ability to bounce back from failure and loss. They wanted to find out why hardships that defeated and exhausted some individuals invigorated, inspired, and motivated others. Through their research, they found that what differentiated successful from unsuccessful leaders was a cluster of traits, which they termed resiliency. These traits include:
A sense of perspective and can-do optimism
An optimistic or resilient attitude is one of hopeful expectation for positive results. This optimism pulls resilient people through hard times, keeps them focused on success, and helps them stay grounded during times of strife. Resilient people approach all challenges as a normal way of life and use challenges to grow and learn.
Flexible goal setting
Resilient people are able to “bounce back” when faced with a loss or failure because they exercise flexibility toward their personal and professional goals. This flexibility is grounded in a set of beliefs that help them to maintain perspective when life throws them a curve.
A holistically healthy self
The ability to manage stress makes resilient leaders more efficient. They know how to take purposeful action to control life’s inherent stress. They’ve learned to manage difficult responsibilities through setting limits. They avoid unnecessary stress by saying "no" when appropriate. They actively practice stress reduction methods like exercise or meditation.
A willingness to accept help
The most resilient individuals are those who utilize available resources and readily reach out for support when they need it. They know that sometimes the greatest show of strength is to let others carry part of the load.
Whether challenges come from pressure to increase productivity, budget constraints, changes in business practices, or reductions in staff, leaders who are resilient thinkers out-last, out-manage, and out-perform their non-resilient peers.
While resiliency may seem to come naturally to some, it is actually a skill that can be taught. With training, leaders can practice techniques that help them develop the ability to motivate themselves and others.
TATC Consulting’s Organizational Development and Training Practice offers proven leadership programs and resiliency training options to equip employees with the skills needed to succeed in an environment where change is ever-present and constantly accelerating. We can provide either off-the-shelf or customized training to meet client needs and can offer courses of varying lengths – from executive briefings to more in-depth training programs lasting several days.