Down-to-earth news for people who cultivate leadership in organizations...
Current Issue: Leadership Resilience
The word "resilience" comes from the root "to jump or bounce back" and has been studied and referenced in a number of fields of study as a foundational quality, strength, capacity, or ability. Often associated with facing challenges, trauma, misfortune, set-backs, hardship and crises, resilience is also a hallmark of leadership and sustainability.
Effective leadership requires a repertoire of psychological and biological strengths sometimes also referred to as psychological hardiness, resilience and stress tolerance. The qualities often include a leader's ability to be proactive, optimistic, focused, flexible, self aware and organized, and fall into the broader category of Emotional Intelligence.
The authors of The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, looked at 5 distinct practices that leaders do when they are doing their best. The first of which, Model the Way, highlights the importance of leaders identifying and staying aligned to their values. This includes reflecting upon purposefulness in their personal and organizational life, and can help leaders manage change.
Resilient leaders are aware that leading through change also involves bringing the best out in others and they are skillful at collaboration and interpersonal relationships using positive influence through Enabling Others to Act and supporting their capabilities through Encouraging the Heart.
Leaders can bolster their resilience IQ by:
Assessing their response to set backs and failures. Do mental beliefs about adversity forward their learning that leads to opportunity seeking or do they become chronically discouraged?
Becoming socially skillful. Strong relationships are fostered by seeking collaboration and reinforcing active, authentic and constructive communication with others.
Reviewing "strength challenges stories", reflecting upon how a leader's values and strengths have served to effectively navigate past roadblocks and challenges.
Learning optimism. Seek feedback from others about how they communicate difficulties and/or give feedback to others themselves. Is there a desire to always see "what's possible"?
Becoming comfortable with ambiguity. Check the tolerance meter. Practice the art of further inquiry without impatience and a closed mind.
Holly Seaton, Ph.D.
Leadership Challenge Facilitator, Coaching Practice Leader
_______________________
Over 25 years of ongoing research, with data from over 3 million individuals makes The Leadership Challenge® the most trusted name in developing leaders. For more information on this leadership development model, click below.
