Resilience

Who we are as leaders is most clear in the midst of crisis.

Individuals who find success in life are the ones who are able to bounce back from difficulty, displaying resilience.

Starting over when things go wrong is resilience.

Turning mistakes into lessons is resilience.

Finding a new way to get the job done when you face a roadblock is resilience.

Staying focused on the future is resilience.

Remembering what’s important is resilience.

But how do you find strength to live with resilience? Dr. William White, the Dean of Mountain State University’s School of Leadership and Professional Development, framed a favorite quote about resilience as a reminder to himself about the importance of greeting challenges as opportunities for growth. Shortly after he put the quote on his office wall, the frame fell to the floor. The glass shattered.

He picked up the pieces. He reframed the quote. He put it back in its place on his wall. He got back to work.

Recovering from major difficulties is not as simple as sweeping up glass, but the principle remains the same.

Resilient leaders pick up the pieces.

Resilient leaders make things right.

Resilient leaders move ahead.

Resilient leaders get back to work.

Comments

[Paul McConaughy]

Winston Churchill hangs on my wall and says "It's not good enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required."

That's my inspiration for resilience.

[Wally Bock]

Thanks, Becky, for the reminder that there are two kinds of strengths for leaders. Engineers would describe them as strength in compression and strength in tension. You need the strength to stand firm and withstand pressure. But you also need the strength to resist being pulled apart and bend with the wind.

[Thomas Waterhouse]

Resilience is that flexible quality of springing back to original form after a stress or challenge. For leaders, the “original form” is the serenity that flows from soundness of mind, strength of character, and healthy spirituality. Of course, this is in contrast to those who are continually “bent out of shape”. Thanks Becky for speaking to a crucial quality of successful being!