Thank you for listening to The Champion Forum Podcast with Jeff Hancher! Did you know 8/10 employees believe their leaders are not equipped to manage change? The good news is that you can better manage change by practicing your resilience! Leaders who can navigate challenges, adapt to change, and lead their teams with resilience are essential assets in today's ever-changing business landscape. In today’s episode, I’ll define resilience and give you seven ways you can be a more resilient leader.
Defining Resilience
To be resilient is to bounce back and recover quickly from any adversity you encounter. Resilient people overcome even the toughest life events to accomplish what they set out to do. Resilience is not a fixed skill; it is an area you can grow in! The more conflict and challenges you face, the more resilient you become.
Q: How do you define resilience? Describe a situation in your life that helped you build resilience.
How to become more resilient:
1. Learn to Face Reality.
Learn to accept things as they are so you can be clearer about problems and possible solutions. A resilient leader is simultaneously realistic and optimistic. That means they can recognize the problem and look beyond the current situation to paint a positive future on the other side of a challenging situation. It is valuable to acknowledge a problem or bad situation—and the feelings associated with the circumstances—but the key is not getting sucked into negativity and pessimism.
2. Know Your Purpose.
Remembering why you’re here can be all it takes to ease the burden and find perspective. Everyone has a purpose that drives them. I am certain that people within your influence are counting on you to rise up when things get hard.
3. Become Comfortable With Flexibility.
When you view challenges or disruptions as opportunities rather than burdens, you can consistently realize your personal potential and capacity to make positive change. Every time things change, you have a chance to make them better.
4. Practice Self-Care.
No one can help others if they’re incapacitated or compromised. Leadership is the same way. Knowing your limits and caring for yourself prevent you from making rash decisions or burning out. Self-care comes in many forms. It could be organizational, such as setting boundaries and delegating more tasks to protect your time; emotional, such as engaging with your support system; or physical, which includes exercising, IV Infusion, cold plunge, and massage. Even something as basic as sleep helps maintain the fortitude leaders need in their daily work. Do what it takes to recharge so you can finish the leadership marathon.
5. Process Failures and Celebrate Accomplishments.
Periodically review your past decisions and where they’ve taken you so you can learn from your failures and process your emotions. It’s also important to take stock of any wins and express gratitude for them. This practice builds momentum for your future success.
Q: Do you find it easier to review your successes or failures? Why? Do you think one is more valuable than the other? Why or why not?
6. Challenge Your Assumptions.
Learn to notice and challenge potentially faulty assumptions about what others are thinking and doing. When we're under stress, our perceptions are more likely to become irrational. By challenging these assumptions, you can arrive at more productive beliefs.
Q: What beliefs do you have that are not serving you? How can you ensure that you are operating based on truths, not assumptions?
7. Find Perspective
If you’re struggling to find perspective, ask yourself what you are comparing your situation to. The pressure is a privilege! Take time to acknowledge and appreciate small things. The more purposeful you are about practicing gratitude, the more things will naturally trigger a feeling of thankfulness.
Application Activities:
Schedule time for self-care this week! Self-care for leaders can fall into a few categories, including physical, spiritual, social, and developmental. Have you been recharging in each of those areas? Choose one thing you can do to invest in yourself. If you struggle with physical self-care, try walking during lunch or going to bed 30 minutes earlier. Spending time in prayer or meditation can help refuel you spiritually. Maybe you need to schedule coffee with a friend or call a loved one on your way home from work! Or maybe you are so focused on work that you are not investing in your other passions. Find a local book club or hobby group to promote your development and help you find fulfillment beyond your work.
When approached with a new challenge that requires you to respond with resilience, create ways to give yourself time to pause. Remember that most situations do not require an immediate response! Depending on the situation, you can take a few minutes, an hour, or even a few days to consider your response. Thank the person for their idea, initiative, or passion, and then briefly explain that you want to give their idea your full attention and circle back once you have thought through the details. Pausing will ensure that you can process any anxiety you have about the request and revisit the situation after thoroughly examining it.