Resilience has become the new buzzword in leadership and management circles—and rightly so. In a business environment that constantly throws up challenges, disappointments, and tough decisions, resilience is essential.
But what does resilience really mean? For some, it’s about developing a tough exterior. For others, it’s about feeling the impact of a setback and getting on with the task regardless.
Kevin Dutton, a well-known researcher at the University of Oxford and member of the Oxford Centre for Emotions and Affective Neuroscience, defines resilience as the ability to adapt in the face of adversity, disappointment, threat, or uncertainty. This could be anything from relationship or health problems to financial loss. It might even be the everyday stress of being under pressure at work or struggling to meet deadlines.
It’s not that resilient people don’t experience these challenges—“It just means that when they’re knocked down, they can get back up and come back stronger.”
So, how can you develop your resilience muscle? Here are several suggestions that work.
The link between the mind, body, and emotions is well documented. So, let’s start by paying attention to your physical well-being. Richard Branson, in a recent interview, talked about his passion for exercise and how it impacts his mental and emotional state.
He builds at least 150 minutes of exercise into his day. While we’re not all billionaire entrepreneurs, starting with an hour of exercise could be a positive step.
It’s also important to think about how you fuel your body. According to Mind.org, food and mood are closely linked. Simple things like eating regularly or having smaller portions throughout the day can help manage irritability, irrationality, and emotional swings—especially when it’s been eight hours since your last meal!
It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of life or a small issue in the team that stirs your emotions. Instead, take a step back and focus on the bigger picture and your long-term vision. Write a personal mission statement and read it daily. This will help keep things in perspective, reminding you of what life and work are truly about.
Although it might sound like a cliché, people are usually doing the best they can with the resources available to them. And remember, we can always choose how we respond to the events and circumstances in our lives.
When you view the world through this lens, your energy lifts, and you become more positive. Focus on what’s going right rather than what’s going wrong.
Positive people tend to be more resilient than pessimists, and you can start becoming more optimistic today!
Jim Rohn, the entrepreneur and motivational speaker, famously said, “We are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with, and the books we read.” This idea relates to the law of averages, which suggests that the result of any situation will be the average of all outcomes.
When it comes to relationships, we are greatly influenced—whether we realise it or not—by those closest to us. This affects our thinking, self-belief, and often the decisions we make.
Logically, if you spend time with positive, resilient people, their mindset will rub off on you.
As a leadership and training enthusiast, this one comes naturally to me, but surprisingly, this mindset can be missing in certain organisations and cultures.
Resilience is closely tied to how we adapt to change. Nothing helps you cope with change more than expanding your mind.
As you learn new approaches to leadership, your perspective will shift. With greater knowledge and exposure to different events and ways of responding, your resilience muscle will strengthen.
An added bonus is that your confidence will grow too.
Resilience is not just a buzzword - it’s a critical skill for thriving in today’s business world. By looking after your physical health, focusing on the bigger picture, surrounding yourself with positive people, and continuously learning, you can build resilience and set yourself up for long-term success.
Many thanks,
Alex & The Excel Team
P.S. If you would like to discuss any of your other learning & development challenges, book in your discovery call.
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