The dictionary suggests that ‘resilience’ means “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties” or in more simple terms “ the toughness of an individual in the face of challenges or even setbacks”. It is therefore very much a personal quality that predisposes individuals to “bounce back” or keep going in the face of particular obstacles. Resilient leaders, on the other hand, need to do more than merely bounce back personally, mainly because they don’t just have themselves to deal with but also the people they are leading.
Some leaders are more naturally resilient as a basic part of their personality (or perhaps the way they have been brought up), while others are less so. However, resilience is a learnable ‘mind-set’ or attitude for everyone to adopt and to do it well we need to be aware of what resilient behaviours look like in practical terms. In the list that follows are five key behaviours that all resilient leaders demonstrate regularly:
1. They engage in deliberate personal re-energization/re-vitalization on a regular basis
Resilient leaders seek to revitalize themselves physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally on a frequent basis (every day) to keep the personal batteries charged and their energy high. They therefore pay close attention to work-life balance issues, take advantage of good coaching and external advice when they face important decisions and take time for reflection when a future course of action is complex. This effort to maintain high personal renewal then generates the energy leaders need to tackle demanding or high pressure work, whenever necessary.
2. They create the most positive working climate possible
Resilient leaders listen to people, in emotionally intelligent ways, and then choose their words carefully. They take into account the input and in order to create the most positive climate possible so that people feel they can do their best work and contribute in the most efficient and effective ways. This open and empowering climate allows people to ask questions (without any fear of criticism), to admit that they may need more information (and are given the time to do the research) and to even challenge decisions (respectfully) when they believe a better outcome might be achieved by a different course of action.
3. They demonstrate optimism about the future as much as possible
It’s long been known that people like to follow a leader who is optimistic or who has a strong and positive belief in the future. After all, who wants to follow any leader who feels pessimistic about the future? However, resilient leaders need to maintain their optimism even more strongly in times of difficulty or adversity (and sometimes for long periods of time). This requires considerable strength of character to keep calm and avoid panicking at all costs, staying focused on what is most important and providing clear direction to help people to re-group and get back on track.
4. They build strong networks and alliances
Resilient leaders continually look to build strong networks and alliances, not only with individuals at all levels inside their church/ministry but also with external individuals who can provide valuable help and support when the going gets tough and a leader may need all the help that he or she can get. Of course, this works in both directions and a resilient leader is always willing to give support as well as ask for it when needed.
5. They are open-minded and think laterally whenever necessary
Resilient leaders are as open-minded as possible, asking questions frequently and doing as much as they can to avoid dogmatism and potential group-thinking. They therefore seek multiple perspectives on important issues and seek information from many sources so that there is considerable scope to think in new and ‘lateral’ ways whenever the need arises. This capacity to ‘re-frame’ an issue or challenge, or see the challenge in a new or different way is one of the keys to being able to be resilient.
Summary
Resilience as a general attitude is neither quick nor easy to develop, but the more that any given leader can develop it, the better. Not only does this lead to ‘bouncing back’ from a setback more quickly but it means that the leader is more likely to see the opportunity to ‘re-think’ or ‘look anew’ at what the setback has provided. This will mean that the resilient leader can then quickly provide new goals for his or her team members to pursue (which allow them to go over, around or under the setback in some way) and thereby demonstrate that obstacles are only challenges to be overcome, and not difficulties to be stoically borne until they (hopefully) go away.
Dr. Jon Warner is a prolific author, management consultant and executive coach with over 25 years experience. He has an MBA and a PhD in Organizational Psychology. Jon can be reached at OptimalJon@gmail.com
Colin is the Director of ResourceZone International. He has 30 years of ministry experience as a pastor, college lecturer and consultant/coach to consultants, denominational leaders and local church pastors. He can be reached at info@resourcezoneinternational.com
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