Building a Culture of Resilience - Resilience as a Leader

There is an unquestionable connection between leadership and organizational culture. Digital workplaces are a great place to foster both horizontal and top-down communication. A resilient culture also recognizes and values ethics, accountability, and transparency.

Resiliency is the Key to Survival - Resilience and Leadership

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that a resilient culture can be a crucial component of organizational culture and business success. Building a culture of resilience means implementing key strategies that will prepare employees to respond effectively to difficult situations. A resilient culture will allow leaders to engage with high-performing and low-performing teams and reward good conduct across the organization. And resiliency is a key element in any company's survival.

Traits Resilient Leaders Possess

Resilient people believe in their destiny and act accordingly.

They also tend to see opportunities in each crisis.

Resilient leaders understand that time is their most precious resource and that every second counts.

A resilient leader does not let the idea of an unforeseen challenge surprise them.

Therefore, organizations must develop the capability to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment and scenario planning, enabling leaders to respond to any unforeseen crisis with confidence and purpose.

Organizational and Personal Resilience

There is a dire need to train people on how to be resilient at work. Organizational and personal resilience are key factors in any organization's success.

More resilient organizations are more likely to navigate change and thrive.

They have strong leadership and are often more profitable than those that are less resilient. Resilient employees are an important key to success.

The benefits of developing resilient leaders and organizations are enormous. When you are looking to build a culture of resilience, consider all of the elements below:

Resilient organizations are flexible and adaptable to change.

Resilient people can adapt and bounce back to change.

Resilient organizations can recover quickly and maintain their competitive edge.

Resilient leaders can also inspire the next generation of leaders.

Resilient organizations foster a healthy, positive environment, which can lead to business success.

It is important to remember that resilience does not happen overnight and requires work on the part of the leaders to develop and sustain the mindset and skills necessary for success.

Develop a Learning and Growth Mindset

One of the most important aspects of business success is having a growth mindset. The reason is simple - people who aren't growth-minded are often afraid to reach out to customers. Identifying and attracting the right audience is crucial for the profitability of your business. Those with a growth mindset are more likely to focus on the process rather than the outcome. They're more likely to innovate and find new products and services that are both profitable and satisfying.

The Growth Mindset Theory

The growth mindset theory originated from psychologist and researcher Carol Dweck in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

According to Dweck, people with a growth mindset see intelligence and abilities as something that can be developed. In contrast, those with a fixed mindset view talent and ability as inborn, and therefore unchangeable.

The growth mindset teaches that we can learn and develop, as well as improve our existing skills.

Business owners with a fixed mindset may find it difficult to take risks, display leadership, and navigate the recruitment process. A growth mindset encourages:

Flexibility

Innovation

Strong team communication

In short, it makes it easier to take risks and achieve business success. This mindset has many benefits for leaders. It will help improve their team dynamics and their attitude toward change. In addition, it will help you create a high-performing team, and thus have a positive impact on the wider business.

Embrace failure and learn from it

Foster an innovative culture

Foster a sense of purpose and accountability

Being more productive

Reduce the Impact of Crises

It is possible to reduce the impact of crises on business leaders by identifying what triggers them and proactively planning for crisis management. In December of this year, file transfer service Accellion was hit by a sophisticated hacker attack. The data exposed included Social Security numbers for Harvard students and the customer list of a Kroger pharmacy. The company alerted 320 potentially affected customers and put a patch in place to prevent further data leaks. Moreover, it offered customers the chance to cancel their subscriptions to its service.

Crisis Management

Crisis management requires a plan that addresses multiple risks and vulnerabilities. The most effective crisis management teams focus on three major aspects:

Crisis Recovery Phase - Situational Awareness

The first is situational awareness, which refers to a leadership team's ability to evaluate critical information and anticipate its effects. Without such a plan, it is extremely difficult to minimize the impact of a crisis. This is why a crisis management plan is essential to ensuring business continuity.

Restoration Phase

After the initial crisis recovery, the organization moves into the restoration phase. During this phase, the company's metrics will start to normalize. Hiring and retention metrics will rebound, and business metrics will stabilize. This phase should be an opportunity for a company to demonstrate the behaviours that it expects from its employees. In addition, the leadership team must communicate its business rationale to stakeholders. The restoration process will require a continuous communication program.

When a crisis occurs, it is critical to communicate accurate information to minimize uncertainty and speculation. People tend to make up things when they are stressed and limited in information. This means they are more likely to make up a story that is far worse than reality. In addition, the period during a crisis is compressed. It is important for business leaders to communicate with their stakeholders in an honest and timely manner, otherwise, people will not trust them.

Embrace Change

To embrace change, leaders must develop a global mindset and orientation. They must also develop coalitions with people who show initiative and risk-taking. Strategic planning is no longer enough to prepare businesses for the future. Embracing change will help businesses to succeed when faced with strategic changes. These leaders will invest energy in things that need improvement. They recognize that they need to accept their personal and professional weaknesses and embrace change.

This is crucial for the survival of any business. Without it, businesses will become dinosaurs, losing their competitive edge. Embracing change will allow leaders to keep their teams motivated and excited. However, this type of change can be challenging to embrace. Embracing change is a good thing - and can be a rewarding experience.

Here are some ways to help leaders embrace change and make it work for their businesses:

Make change a priority.

Leaders need to create an environment where change is embraced and welcomed. This can be done by making sure that everyone in the organization feels comfortable with change, and that they are open to new ideas. This will help leaders keep their teams motivated and excited about the future.

Encourage debate and discussion.

Change is a good thing, but it can be scary, too. When people feel like they have a say in the process, they're more likely to be open and accept new ideas.

Use change as an opportunity for growth.

Change is exciting, and it's a great way to learn new things. If leaders can make sure their teams know that change is an opportunity, not just a challenge, they'll be more likely to embrace the process.

Make a plan.

Change can feel overwhelming, but it's much easier to deal with when you have a plan. Leaders should make sure their teams are well-informed about the changes coming down the pipeline. They should also help their teams to understand how the changes will affect them, and give them a chance to ask questions.

Be open.

The best way for leaders to communicate with their teams is, to be honest. They need to let their employees know what's changing, why it's happening, and how the changes will affect them.

By being honest with their employees, leaders can keep them from feeling like they are in the dark.

Be supportive.

Change is hard for anyone, including leaders. They need to let their teams know that they're there for them if they have any questions or concerns.

Be flexible.

Even the best-laid plans don't always work. Be prepared to change your approach

Don't be afraid of failure.

If you're not willing to take risks, you'll never have the chance to succeed.

Have a Plan B.

Make sure you always have a backup plan in case your first idea doesn't work.

Have trust and be trustworthy.

If people don't feel like they can count on you, they'll be hesitant to follow your lead.

Listen.

Leaders need to listen as much as they talk. They should always make sure they understand what their teams are saying before responding.

Keep your promises.

If you tell people you will do something, make sure to follow through.

Be honest.

Honesty is the best policy and it's always better to be upfront with your team members than to try and sneak something past them.

Be fair.

Make sure you treat everyone equally, regardless of their position or status in the company.

Avoid gossiping.

Gossiping is a surefire way to lose people's respect. It's also a surefire way to lose your job. As the old saying goes, "Loose lips sink ships." In other words, talking about your company with people who aren't authorized to know about it can be a recipe for disaster.

Be consistent.

If you tell someone something, make sure they can count on it being true every time. If you tell someone something is going to happen, make sure it does. And if you can't deliver on what you've said, at least be honest about it.

This is how you build trust and credibility. It's also what will keep your people from feeling like they're spinning their wheels for no real progress or benefit.

And if you want to get ahead, it's what will make you stand out from the crowd.

Things are Leader Must Keep in Mind

If you're a leader in any organization, it's your job to make sure that the people who work with and for you can do their jobs well. And if they can't trust you to deliver on what you say you're going to do, they'll have a hard time believing that anything else you tell them is true.
This is especially important in business, where it's critical to be able to make and keep commitments. When you break a promise, it's not just your credibility that suffers — so does the company.
It's important for leaders to recognize this, and to do everything they can to build the kind of trust that will make their organizations more successful.
Resilience is one of those things that build trust — because it means you're not only willing to make a commitment and follow through on it, but you're also able to recover from setbacks when they happen.
And that's no small thing in today's business world.
Resilience is the ability to recover from difficulties and setbacks, and it's one of the most important skills leaders can have.
It's also one of the hardest ones for people to develop — especially if they're used to being successful.

Resilience isn't about the Failure

Resilience is not about never failing or making mistakes. Rather, it's about bouncing back from failure and learning from your mistakes so that you can keep going and be successful in the long run.

Resilience is often a sign of success — resilient people don't give up easily because they've learned to deal with failure and setbacks.

Resilience is also a good predictor of future success — resilient people tend to be more successful in their careers and personal lives. So if you want to be successful, it's a good idea to work on developing your resilience.

Research shows that resilient people have these characteristics:

1) They're optimistic.

Resilient people tend to be more optimistic than most. That means they expect things to work out well for them in the end, so they're motivated to keep going when times get tough.

2) They have good emotional regulation skills.

Resilient people tend to be good at controlling their emotions. They don't let themselves get too upset when things go wrong, and they're able to stay positive even in difficult situations.

3) They have a strong sense of identity.

Resilient people tend to feel good about themselves and their abilities. That gives them confidence that they can handle whatever comes along, even if it's difficult.

4) They have a strong sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

Resilient people tend to feel like they're part of something bigger than themselves, whether it's a religious group, a community, or something else. It gives them reasons to get up in the morning and helps them cope with difficult times.

5) They're able to forgive themselves for their mistakes.

Resilient people tend to be able to look back at their past, learn from it, and move on. They don't feel like they have to live with the mistakes of the past forever.

6) They're able to forgive other people.

Resilient people tend to be able to let go of grudges and move on from conflicts with others. It doesn't mean they don't feel pain over what happened, but they're able to let it go.

7) They have a support system of people who love and care about them.

Resilient people are usually surrounded by people who love and support them.

8) They're able to see the positive in every situation.

Resilient people are usually able to find some good in every situation, even if it's not what they want.

9) They're able to take risks and learn from the mistakes that come with them.

Resilient people are willing to take chances, even if it means failing sometimes. They know that failure is a part of growing and learning, so they don't let it get them down for long.

Questions

What are the 3 components of staying healthy and building resilience?
Resilience is the ability to bounce back when things don't go as planned. According to psychologist, Susan Kobasa, there are three main elements that resilient people possess. These are challenges, commitment, and control.

What are the three basic foundations of building resilience?
The 3 basic foundations of building resilience are Acceptance, Response and our ability to forgive.

What are the 3 benefits of resilience?

The benefits of resilience are associated with longevity, lower rates of depression, and greater satisfaction with life.
There's a sense of control, and it helps people feel more positive in general.
Likewise, a lack of resilience means that you may not handle stress well in difficult situations.

What are 5 ways to develop resilience?

Think positive. You can't always control life-changing events, but you can control how you respond to them.
Look after yourself.
Use your support network.
Work towards a goal.
Seek help.

How can I improve my resilience?

Get connected. Building strong, positive relationships with loved ones and friends can provide you with needed support, guidance and acceptance in good and bad times. ...
Make every day meaningful.
Learn from experience.
Remain hopeful.
Take care of yourself.
Be proactive.

Related Article: Strategies for Resilient Leaders: Understanding Emotions and Reframing Them