According to Charles Knippen, president of the National Society of Leadership and Success, a resilient leader bounces back quickly from adversity. Resilient leaders guide followers through trials and deliver them to success. This article explores the ways in which a leader can build resilience. You can apply these principles to yourself as well. For example, mindfulness and self-awareness can help leaders overcome negative self-talk.
Mindfulness
In recent years, we have seen many challenges and upheavals. The ongoing pandemic and civil unrest in the United States are just some of the challenges that face the world. Economic hardships are also widespread. People are stressed and overwhelmed and mindful resilience is more essential than ever. Burnout is the number one reason people quit their jobs. Organizations have been grappling with how to retain top talent and nurture a resilient culture.
There are many ways to practice mindfulness in the workplace. Some of these include gratitude and humility. Mindfulness is a powerful practice that can help you develop resilience in your team. This type of leadership style involves accepting yourself, embracing change, and being open to learning from your mistakes. Mindfulness is an essential skill for any leader. It can help you become a better manager and improve your performance at work. As a leader, you have a tremendous impact on the workplace and should take the time to learn and practice it.
One way to practice mindfulness is through meditation. Other forms of mindfulness include journaling, intimate conversations, and solitary exercises. These introspective practices slow the mind and help people reflect. Practicing mindfulness will increase your confidence, self-awareness, and ability to manage strong emotions. It will also help you develop empathy for others, which is vital for building resilient leadership. It is also an excellent way to enhance teamwork.
Incorporating mindfulness into your leadership training will increase your awareness and impact on the quality of your work and your performance. Mindfulness can help you become less stressed, be more present, and inspire others to act in the right way under difficult circumstances. There are a few top myths about mindfulness and leadership that you should be aware of and avoid. They may be holding you back from developing a more resilient leadership style.
Self-awareness
The ability to develop resilience is crucial for leaders in business. Adversity is a fact of life, and we must learn to keep everything in perspective and bounce back from challenges. To help develop resilience, follow these tips from the Forbes Coaches Council. Self-awareness is the first step in becoming a resilient leader. Developing self-awareness helps leaders recognize when they’re losing their tenacity and focus their energy on positive steps forward.
Leaders who are self-aware are more effective than those who are not. They are more confident and capable of leading others. They are able to make sound decisions without being overbearing. In short, self-aware leaders are resilient and capable of leading people through difficult situations. Self-aware leaders are more likely to inspire confidence in their teams and peers. A self-aware leader also knows when to stop reacting automatically to problems.
Developing self-awareness helps a leader recognize their emotions and process them before communicating with others. Self-aware individuals are not afraid to be different or approach others from their own perspectives. They are open to learning and embracing new ideas. Self-aware leaders know their strengths and weaknesses, and know when to seek help and when to solve problems themselves. Self-awareness is also crucial for the development of resilience.
The key to gaining self-awareness is to ask yourself “who am I and why” a thousand times. They must also become comfortable with the answers changing as they evolve and interact with other people. A journey to self-awareness is never-ending, and reflects all aspects of life. Self-awareness is a lifelong process that starts with one thought and continues to evolve.
Communication
Resilient leaders develop their people, including themselves. They develop relationships and focus on the growth of others. Resilient leaders are not just focused on their own development, but the development of their people and the success of their organization as a whole. Communication as a way to build resilience in leadership is a vital skill to have if you want to develop yourself as a leader. Here are some ways to use communication to build resilience in your leadership style:
Communicate clearly with your team and acknowledge good work. Resilient employees will be more productive and resilient if they feel appreciated and acknowledged. This requires frequent, two-way communication. Employees want to hear updates, and providing frequent updates is a great way to provide them with these. Make sure to recognize good work and thank employees for their hard work. Encourage two-way communication to ensure that everyone feels heard.
Assertive communication allows people to connect with you authentically. Assertive leaders are assertive, not coy, and do not activate a listener’s defense mechanisms. Also assertive leaders make their point with conviction, but remain sensitive to others’ feelings. By using assertive communication, resilient leaders are able to inspire followers and elevate motivation. Communication builds trust, and it is vital to build resilience in your leadership style.
The crisis life cycle is also an important part of effective communication. During a COVID-19 outbreak, communication might shift from a crisis that involves the entire community to an adjustment to change and uncertainty. The life cycle of a crisis can differ greatly based on geographical context and industry. During a crisis, the organization can be in any of the five stages. When communicating, be sure to take into account which one matters most at any given moment.
Transparency
One key element in creating resilient leadership is having open and honest communication. Transparency is key to effective leadership because it allows people to be aware of the challenges, as well as to help them resolve problems. This is especially important in these tough economic times, when companies are being forced to cut employees’ hours and even lay off employees for months. Transparency can help leaders build tougher skins and make clever calculations when it comes to decision-making and managing people.
As a leader, you can start by gathering data and asking your team members about their challenges. Ask them to speak from the heart, rather than the legal department. This approach will help team members feel safe and comfortable expressing their fears. Transparency as a way to build resilient leadership means listening to what your team members are saying. It also means avoiding the temptation to delegate communication tasks to legal staff.
Developing a more transparent leadership style requires a personal commitment from the leader. The first step is understanding the benefits of transparency and the steps necessary to create it. Developing a policy and a system of communication will help leaders achieve greater transparency. You must create a clear definition of what is expected and what is not. Be open and honest in your communication with your team to avoid misinterpretations.
Transparency also helps employees to accept the authority of the leader. It builds employee trust and respect. Employees who feel valued and respected will work harder. Transparency will also help boost employee loyalty. Workers will be more motivated to do their job when they know their role and what to expect from them. Also, a firm with poor transparency will suffer in the marketplace. In addition to damaging its reputation, lack of transparency will drive away talent.
Support from upper management
The ability to thrive in a crisis requires a leader with an air of confidence and optimism. This quality is essential for leadership, as Intel co-founder Bob Noyce noted. Optimism encourages individuals to embrace change and adventure, which are important ingredients of a resilient mindset. Resilient leaders see the bigger picture, play the long game, and inspire others to share their vision. A resilient leader will be able to lead an organization through a crisis, but will remain the same leader for the long term.
A resourceful manager can do wonders, but only if they have the proper support from upper management. A healthy dose of resilience means that managers are aware of when to seek help and can approach problems with a fresh perspective. As with any other aspect of leadership, resilience is a skill that requires regular maintenance to stay strong. Upper management can support resilience by investing in training, technology, and personnel to help their team members develop these skills.
Resilient leaders develop their resilience through a series of practice sessions. By learning how to face challenges positively and bounce back from adversity, leaders can build resilience within their own teams. A clear sense of purpose is essential for maintaining a team’s sense of mission and purpose during difficult times. This goal can easily be forgotten in the daily grind of day-to-day operations. Managers must revisit this goal frequently to maintain team unity.
Resilient leaders can draw from their past successes to develop a new strategy or approach. They can also use their experiences to build a new plan in a new circumstance. Building resilient leadership requires a leap of faith, permission to fail, and a willingness to move beyond conventional methods. The support from upper management is key in building resilience and fostering a productive work environment. This is a long-term process, but it will pay off in the long run.