“Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
Not just a nice sounding quote, there is truth to what Steve Maraboli has to say. No doubt we’ve all heard about this idea of having more resilience as a leader, but why is it important and how do you even do that? You know we’ve got you covered.
Thriving Not Just Surviving
What’s one thing all high-performing leaders have in common? It’s not living off caffeine-loaded energy drinks (though this may be true also) – it’s resilience.
Resilience is what gives us the capacity as human beings to tackle adversity head on, push through setbacks and come out the other side ready to keep on keeping on. But it’s more than just being tough. It’s also about having the ability to remain calm and keep working effectively under pressure (keep calm and carry on, like that cliche quote).
Any great team is led by a resilient leader. Having someone at the head of the operation to guide others through time toughs, without leaving everyone burnt out, is key to any successful business.
We don’t want to just survive, we want to thrive!
Resilience Recipe
Ready to level up your resilience ability? Here are a few key ingredients for improving your leadership and crafting a high-performing team.
Assess Yourself
Without a strong understanding of who you are and how great you can be, how do you expect to inspire others to be the same? Taking time for regular self-reflection around yourself and your leadership style, as well as getting feedback from others, can help to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. With this understanding, you’ll have a better ability to adapt your leadership style and be more equipped to navigate your team through those tough times.
Be Brave
Resilience isn’t something we are born into this world with (though we wish). Resilience is something we all have to learn. Just like any muscle, the more we use it, the stronger it gets. The more challenges we face while keeping a positive outlook, the more we can strengthen and hone our resilience. Each time we take the opportunity to find that little nugget of wisdom instead of just focusing on how hard something was, we become that little bit braver. As well as going through first-hand experiences, investing in some leadership training can also be highly effective at bolstering our resilience muscle development.
Have Purpose
Finding the meaning and importance in your work and sharing that with your team is vital to creating a place where people actually enjoy working. When people have purpose they work better, have higher job satisfaction, have more commitment and create stronger social supports. Understanding your purpose allows you to rally the troops when tough times call, empower them to harness their potential, push through and perform at their best.
Cultivate Relationships
It’s always good to have someone to lean on during tough times – the same goes for you and your team. Having both a strong team and professional network gives you and your colleagues people they can turn to and seek trusted advice, support and draw strength from when things get tough. Having a diverse support network also gives you and your team access to different skills and perspectives that gives you that edge when overcoming obstacles.
Strengthen your resilience muscle
Think of your team as an athlete’s body (we promise this is going somewhere). As the resilient leader, you are the fibres and cells of the muscles. Without these being strong, the body cannot function effectively, let alone push through when times get a little tough. Each time you push that little bit harder, while it can sting, afterwards you and your team find yourself stronger than before. The next time something challenging comes your way, you and your team will find pushing through a little bit easier than it was before. If you’re looking at leadership on a long-term basis, it’s important to commit to continually developing, learning and strengthening that resilience muscle.
Better resistance, better results
You’re focused on becoming a resilient leader to help develop a resilient team – but why does any of this even matter? When a team is resilient they have higher levels of engagement and participation, they can navigate changes and challenges more successfully and have a strong united sense of purpose. With a stronger work ethic and more consistency in success comes better results, better profits – what business doesn’t want that?
Get comfortable being uncomfortable
There’s no denying a resilient leader driving a resilient team is an unstoppable force. By taking the time to commit yourself to learning, finding and following your purpose and building stronger relationships, you can strengthen that muscle and help you and your team tackle challenges like there’s no tomorrow. Get used to being comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Learn more about building resilience
📚 Read – Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Street Cycle
🎧 Listen – How to Fail With Elisabeth Day podcast
