10 Strategies to Build Leadership Resilience
In an ever changing world our resilience is constantly put to the test. The following strategies will develop and enhance resilience at all ages
- Try to avoid seeing issues as insurmountable and look beyond the present to how future circumstances will be better. You’ve managed difficult times before and that will give you confidence to get through the problem.
- Take a step back and take a birds eye view of the problem and put strategies in place to move forward on each issue. Some issues can be solved quickly and others will take some thought and therefore some time to solve. Take heart in the fact that it is solvable and follow you planned path.
- Accept that change is part of leadership and can be a positive and rewarding process to lead. Be proactive and design your own change rather than respond to change enforced upon you through problems arising. Accepting that some things can’t be changed and some can, will help you focus on the things that can.
- Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, focus on what can be accomplished now that is a step closer to the longer term goals.
- Take decisive actions. Be proactive in your management of decisions. As a leader you role model management of decisions in the workplace. Take courage in the fact that you’ve managed difficult decisions before and you will again.
- Look for opportunities. You will learn something about yourself as a leader and find you have grown in some respect as a result of a struggle. Take pride in the way you managed the difficult situation.
- Try not to let the negative self talk take over. Remind yourself that the difficult situation is just one today, once solved it is added to the list of previous situations managed successfully. Developing confidence in your ability to solve problems and trusting your instincts helps build resilience.
- Keep things in perspective. Avoid blowing a stressful event out of proportion. Look at it in a broader context. I like to think of issues existing somewhere on a scale of 10. 10 being very serious like a death or serious car accident and 1 being minor like losing your keys! The scale puts things in perspective.
- Maintain a hopeful outlook. Being optimistic enables you to expect that good things will happen in your life. Try visualizing what you want and be proactive in planning for it.
- Take care of yourself. Role model a balanced home/work life balance for your teams. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings as well as others. That will help keep your mind and body primed to deal with adverse events in your life.
When you’re in an extremely stressful time try to do something for yourself each day. It may be something very small, but it will be a time that is especially for you.
