The concept of resiliency has gained increased focus the last couple of years as the COVID pandemic heightened the level of uncertainty, anxiety, and even fear that many (if not most) of us have experienced.
In May 2020, I posted a Resiliency Tip Sheet to provide some insight into the importance of being resilient and to share some suggestions to help improve or sustain your resiliency.
At that time, I discussed resiliency as a trait that is critical for everyone to possess. However, resiliency is also a key trait specifically for effective leaders.
What is Resiliency?
- The capacity to recover quickly from deficiencies.
- The ability to spring back into shape – elasticity.
- The process of being able to adapt well and bounce back in times of stress.
- Recovering your composure after a let-down or disappointment.
Why does it matter to have resiliency?
Have you ever noticed when some individuals are in a difficult situation that they seem to fall apart? The hand-wringing, “woe is me” stuff commences, and the person spends an inordinate amount of time lamenting about the situation, which accomplishes little or nothing. Other folks like to play the blame game and strike out at whoever is handy. Again, accomplishing nothing that is constructive.
Resiliency is an element of being emotionally intelligent. When we are high in our EQ (emotional quotient), we tend to take things more in stride. This allows us to recover faster and use our positiveness to examine what has happened and to move forward. Resiliency is a capability that you can develop and harness to increase your effectiveness.
A Forbes article from last year listed that resilient leaders tend to:
- Maintain emotional equilibrium and their composure under stress
- When upset, do not agitate others by spreading tension and anxiety
- Tolerate ambiguity or uncertainty and adapt readily to new situations
- Handle mistakes or setbacks with poise and grace
- Put stressful experiences into perspective and do not dwell on them
- Invest in their own physical and psychological health
- Communicate confidence and steadiness during difficult times
- Have the support necessary to cope with emotional overload
Not only are these capabilities critical for the leader him/herself to possess for their own effectiveness, they’re imperative for the success of the team, organization, or company that they are leading. I suggest that you devote some time considering your level of resilience in different situations and how improving your capabilities in this area can be beneficial for you and for the people you lead.