The Resilient Leader

Written By Camelia Lazar

Master the Art of Leadership!

What is resilience?

Resilience is the human capacity to meet adversity, setbacks, and trauma, and then recover to live life fully. Resilient leaders sustain their energy under pressure, cope with disruptive changes, and bounce back from setbacks. They also overcome major difficulties without engaging in dysfunctional behavior or harming others. 

Resilient Individuals = Resilient Organisations

“It is the combination of reasonable talent and the ability to keep going in the face of defeat that leads to success”. Martin Seligman

Resilience can be learned through developing thoughts, behaviours and actions that allow you to recover from traumatic or stressful life events. Explore the 3P framework to build or develop resilience as a leader.

PERSONALIZATION

Although it is a show of good character to be accountable, at times we tend to attribute the difficulties we encounter as our own making rather than that of external circumstance. Avoid internalising problems or failures as solely your fault. Acknowledge that not all setbacks are within your control.

PERMANENCE

During challenging times, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Permanence is the belief that a crisis will last forever. Resist the belief that setbacks are permanent. Understand that challenges are transient, and improvements are achievable over time.

PERVASIVENESS

Sometimes when we have difficulties in one aspect of our lives, we think this is reflective of all areas of life. Refrain from letting one negative experience color your entire outlook. Recognize that setbacks in one area of life do not necessarily affect all others.

The Powerful Questions

Take time to answer the following questions: 

PERSONALIZATION

  • What factors contributed to this situation? What factors were outside of my influence? Identify external factors that played a role in the setback.

PERMANENCE

  • What elements suggest that this situation is temporary? What make you believe it will be permanent? Look for past experiences or insights that indicate setbacks are transient.

PERVASIVENESS

  • Which areas of my life remain unaffected by this setback? Identify areas where the setback has not had an influence.

Toolkit to Improve Resilience

Improve your resilience with those exercises. Share them with your team to strengthen collective resilience and foster a resilient culture.

Personalization Exercise: Reality Check

1. Identify the Problem

  • Write down a recent issue where you felt personally responsible. Example: A project missed its deadline.

2. List All Factors

  • Make a list of all possible factors that contributed to the problem, including external ones. Example: Team member illness (30%), unforeseen technical issues (40%), your management (30%).

3. Evaluate Responsibility

  • Assign a percentage of responsibility to each factor, including yourself. Example: Recognize that external factors played a significant role.

4. Reflect

  • Reflect on how much control you realistically had over the situation and what you can learn from it without placing undue blame on yourself. Example: Strategize how to mitigate similar issues in the future.

Permanence Exercise: Time Perspective

1. Identify the Setback

  • Write down a recent setback you encountered. Example: Negative feedback on a report.

2. Timeline Creation

  • Create a timeline that includes the current setback and similar past challenges. Example: Review past reports that also received feedback and subsequent improvements.

3. Analyze Past Resolutions

  • Reflect on how past issues were resolved and the improvements that followed. Example: Plan steps to enhance the next report based on constructive criticism.

4. Project Future Improvement

  • Write a positive outcome for the current setback and steps to achieve it. Example: Schedule a follow-up meeting to address concerns and improve the client relationship.

Pervasiveness  Exercise: Domain Separation

1. Identify the Negative Experience

  • Write down a recent negative experience. Example: A failed client presentation.

2. Domain Analysis

  • List all areas of your professional and personal life. Example: Client relationships, team morale, personal skills, overall company performance.

3. Impact Assessment

  • Evaluate which areas are genuinely affected by this experience. Example: Acknowledge that only the client relationship was affected.

4. Reframe Thoughts

  • For unaffected areas, write positive statements to reinforce that they are not impacted by the single negative event.. Example: "Other projects are on track and the team is still motivated."

Attribution: Illustration Designed by Freepik
Camelia Lazar
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