Resilience

Building resilience as a leader in the workplace is essential to success, not just in good times but especially during challenging times.

Resilience is not what many perceive it to be. It not do not show any sign of weakness; rather, it is a selection of choices we make to build a positive and calmer environment of innovation.

It can give you the tools to deal with those challenges and adapt to a changing environment. It can also motivate and inspire others!

Resilience begins with;

Self-care, which will look different for each individual, but starts with ensuring you are kind to yourself. Make sure you take a break the organisation can cope if you’re not there for 30 minutes! So set boundaries, remember to give yourself breathing space between tasks/ meetings, and protect your work-life balance, working for hours outside of your working day, not only has a negative effect on you but also the wider team, consider how to relax, switching off from work by spending your time not obsessing about what you need to do the next day but enjoying the moment.

Growth Mindset—this is so important. It does not matter how high up the organisational structure we get; we can all still grow. Investing in your own growth will build your resilience. Growth can be built with an openness to learning, reflecting on practice, and seeking out other professionals to learn from their experiences.

Support—Build a support network. Isolation can be damaging. Seek support from many sources: a line manager, mentor, peers, and coaching sessions. Check-in with these people regularly to help you remember that it is not all on you!

Being realistic – We cannot do everything, so delegate, ask for help, and be prepared to adapt.

Open communication—Being able to give feedback is often part of the role, but remember to have the strength to receive feedback. One of my leaders many years ago said, “Feedback’s a gift.” This is so true; feedback helps us grow and improve but also reminds us of our effect on others.

Our leadership shadow can only be understood with feedback.

Leaders set the tone in a work environment, leaders that can build and model resilience and inspire the team, giving the whole team the confidence to face successes and challenges in equal measure.