Cultivating Resilient Leaders - A Blueprint for Success

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"Resilience is not about avoiding adversity; it's about navigating through it, adapting, and emerging stronger on the other side." - Sheryl Sandberg 

There's a prevalent misconception that putting in more effort and extending work hours is the most effective strategy for handling the challenges of management. Many believe that multitasking is a key to improved efficiency. However, this perspective is fundamentally flawed.

We know from studies of stress that performance doesn’t always increase as a result of putting more pressure on yourself. Pushing yourself too hard will just lead to overwork and burnout.

The Yerkes–Dodson law is a relationship between pressure and performance, originally developed by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson in 1908. The law dictates that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, but only up to a point. When levels of arousal become too high, performance decreases.

Source: Figure 2. Yerkes-Dodson Law Teigen 1994

The relationship between performance and pressure follows a bell curve, where individuals have an optimum level of pressure under which they perform at their best. If pressure is above or below this level, their performance falls

While increased pressure may initially yield improvements, sustained overwork can lead to performance plateaus and eventual decline. In the face of crises, industry fluctuations, societal changes, or workplace stress, it becomes crucial to prioritize building resilience as a leader. Resilience is the capacity to rebound from obstacles and setbacks.

Excessive pressure or stress leads to narrowed thinking and a higher probability of faulty reasoning, triggering the body's stress response with a surge of chemicals and hormones.

In the contemporary and unpredictable managerial landscape, cultivating resilience as a leader is imperative. 

The key question is, how can one foster this resilience? As an initial move, it proves beneficial to pinpoint situations that cause heightened pressure and stress. Understanding the triggers allows for a more focused effort in developing a personal reserve of resilience.

A study by Gee (2021) explains how resilient leaders proactively support employees to cope with challenging long-term health consequences and contribute to employee engagement.

4 Tips for Building Resilience as a Leader

There are many strategies you can use to build resilience, but these are the top 4 that I have personally experience - 

1. Face reality and embrace challenges: As a leader, it is essential to face reality and engage with challenges head-on. Acknowledge the difficulties and work on finding solutions. Encourage your team to share their concerns and ideas, and demonstrate adaptability by adapting your leadership style to the situation at hand. Embrace change and be open to new ideas, as this will help you navigate through challenges and keep you motivated.

2. Know your purpose: Stay focused on your goals and maintain a strong sense of purpose. This will help you navigate through challenges and keep you motivated. Understand your values and beliefs, and align your actions with them. Set clear expectations for yourself and your team, and regularly evaluate your progress.

3. Cultivate self-awareness and emotional intelligence: Increase your self-awareness and understand your emotions. This will help you manage stress and make better decisions under pressure. Develop self-awareness by reflecting on your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Practice mindfulness and meditation to enhance your emotional intelligence, and become more resilient in the face of adversity.

4. Develop a supportive network and practice self-care: Build strong relationships with your team and colleagues, and engage in activities that promote well-being, such as exercise, meditation, and mindfulness practices. Encourage open communication and feedback within your team, and foster a supportive environment where everyone feels valued and heard. By taking care of your physical, emotional, and mental well-being, you can better support your team and lead by example.

   
   

"A resilient leader is someone who not only withstands the storms of challenges but uses them as opportunities to grow stronger, adapt, and inspire others to do the same." - Arianna Huffington

Leading a workshop for Emerging Leaders at Honasa Consumer Limited.

According to a study conducted by Harvard Business Review, organisations with resilient leaders have a higher tolerance for failure and are more likely to innovate. Resilient leaders foster creativity, risk-taking, and continuous improvement within their teams by embracing failure as a learning opportunity

According to a study by Kelly Grimes et.al., during the COVID 19 pandemic, effective leaders support each other and grow in their roles by building personal resilience, practicing compassionate leadership, modelling effective interpersonal leadership behavior, and ensuring frequent and authentic communication

How can an Organisation build Resilience in its leaders?

Here are four tips for organisations -

1. Invest in leadership development programs: Provide training and development opportunities for leaders to enhance their resilience and adaptability. This can include workshops, seminars, or coaching programs focusing on building self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and adaptability.

2. Promote a supportive work environment: Encourage open communication, collaboration, and feedback within the organisation. Create a culture where leaders and employees feel valued and heard, fostering a supportive environment that helps build resilience.

3. Encourage self-care and well-being: Support leaders in prioritising their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Encourage exercise, meditation, and mindfulness to help leaders manage stress and maintain their resilience.

4. Challenge assumptions and embrace change: Encourage leaders to question their assumptions and embrace change as an opportunity for growth. This can help them develop a more flexible mindset and become more resilient in the face of adversity.

   
   

You need resilience not just at work, but also in your personal life. Having this inner strength is helpful for all that life can throw at you — divorce, losses, illnesses, and unexpected change.

Building resilience as a leader gives you the strength to bounce back and be at your best.