Building Leadership Resilience: 4 Tips
Joseph P. Kennedy, the father of our 35th president John F. Kennedy, once famously said “When times get tough, the tough get going.” Joseph P. Kennedy, was also one of the youngest bank presidents of his time. He valued the importance of bouncing back during turbulent seasons of life. During his time as a top leader, Kennedy was hit with many obstacles, including taking ownership of a failing business and dealing with the financial downfalls of World War I. Much like Kennedy, we too are in the midst of adverse times.
We are facing global pandemics, economic uncertainty, and so much more. In times like these, team members look to us as leaders, to see them through. Companies need calm executives who can unite their team towards success. Leaders who have overworked themselves instead of growing their ability to recover from challenges or setbacks can experience negative effects. These include reduced thinking abilities, the release of stress hormones, and increased unsound decision making. In addition, overworking or putting too much pressure on oneself does not necessarily lead to success. However, homing in on practices that build resilience can help leaders repose and gain clarity when the pressure is building. Here’s what we have learned from a cumulation of readings, our executive clients who do it well, and our own experience as former C-suite leaders:
- Face and accept the hard truth. Understand that things happen. The quicker we learn to accept things for what they are, the quicker we can move on to address problems and solutions. Crisis can cause us to think in terms of barriers and limits, so facing the reality of a given circumstance allows us to proceed toward accepting it, which goes a long way towards solving the issue and thereby reducing stress. As leaders we face many hard truths. What truths have you denied? What truths have you accepted? Which led to more effective solutions and greater followership?
- Change the frame. View hardships and uncertain times as opportunities rather than hindrances. We must be able to pivot when emergencies happen (COVID-19 anyone?) and adapt. Looking at the situation from a different perspective, obtaining multiple points of view, and practicing positivity can all help. The next time you are in a situation that calls for a change in direction ask yourself what you can do to reframe your mind? And what needs to be done to get people to favorably respond to your new direction?
- Practice renewal. Good leaders understand that exercising self-care is important for themselves and their followers. Staying healthy emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually helps executives reduce stress and avoid burnout. Practicing renewal can help to sustain energy levels, especially under extreme pressure so that they can cope, make better decisions, and be more effective. Exercising, taking breaks, getting enough sleep, and meditating are all simple things we can do to insert daily renewal to help us stay fresh and sharp. What are you currently doing for self-care? If you aren’t practicing it yet, what can you start doing today?
- Embrace and learn from failure. Great leaders understand that stretching, taking risks, and at times failing is all part of the personal growth process. Creating a safe environment for experimentation and learning from missteps, helps leaders build resilience. When failure is viewed as a necessary means to success, the fear of failure becomes small allowing divergent and innovative thinking. Evaluating and encouraging the learning from mistakes will induce people to continue to stretch and promote a creative & growth mindset. Are you given permission to make mistakes, and do you have a process to evaluate and learn from them? When your people fail, do you provide the safety they need to shake it off and try again?
Building resilience helps leaders to cope with stress and enhance performance. Given the amount and magnitude of disruptive change, it is a critical attribute needed today more than ever. If you would like to learn more about how to build resilience in your leaders, please reach out to us.
Sources include:
4 Tips for Building Resilience as a Leader written by Marian Ruderman from CCL
Five Ways To Building Resilience As A Leader written by Charles Knippen from Forbes
