Of all the traits that make up a good leader, resilience is probably one of the most important.
re·sil·ience /rəˈzilyəns/
noun
- the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
- the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
Resilience is something that you learn and develop over the course of your lifetime—it’s not something we can do innately. Resilience means that you can manage your fear, disappointments, and negative inner voice to come back to a situation with the fortitude to try again or to look for an alternate way forward.
If you allow yourself to be defeated, you can’t learn new things or discover new opportunities—especially the ones that can often be found dwelling within the disappointment.
People who have greater resilience are more likely to take chances and to go after something that they want because they know they will survive if it doesn’t work out.
- The best way to build resilience is to PAUSE when you bump into disappointment or defeat. And in pausing, bring your physiology back to neutral.
- Tell yourself that it’s disappointing and you’ll do better next time.
- Write down 2-3 things you can do differently next time or that you’ve learned from the situation.
Spend some time this week practicing your resilience. Take small risks and let yourself practice pausing and recovering. Let us know how you do!
We’re here for you,
Carpenter Smith Consulting, Ilc