Resilience-A Leadership Superpower
Our reality is vastly changed; even from just a week ago. COVID 19 has radically transformed how we work and relate to each other. We don’t know how long this new reality will last and if some changes may be permanent. Organizations such as association may be fundamentally changed. This is both terrifying and exciting. How can leaders help their organizations work through the fear and unknown? Resilience is a leadership superpower.
An excellent resource for learning about resilence is this TEDx talk from resilience expert Lucy Hone: The Three Secrets of Resilient People. Dr. Hone identified three things resilient people do:
They accept that bad things happen and that no one is immune.
They shift their attention to the good. They find the benefit in negative events. Dr. Hone lost her daughter in a car accident. She found comfort in the fact that her daughter was killed quickly and did not suffer. Dr. Hone also advises that we all, on a daily basis, identify three positive things that happened.
They notice their thoughts and actions and ask, “Is what I am doing helping or hurting me?”. Dr. Hone caught herself compulsively looking at pictures of her daughter and realized she was hurting herself to do so.
Please allow me to add a few more things:
During this challenging time, focus on relationships rather than outcomes. The desire to “fix” everything that is going wrong and produce positive outcomes is strong. Don’t let this impulse overwhelm the need for us to take care of each other;to listen;to relate.
Take on the challenges one day at a time. Yes, you have to look down the road and do your best to anticipate future issues, but don’t lose sight of what you can accomplish today.
It is easy to feel a need to work 24/7; action relives feelings of anxiety and fear. However, You need to give yourself time to recover; no matter the length of your to-do list. Allowing yourself to deplete your energy stores will significantly impact your ability to lead your team from a place of strength and possibility. There is a difference between rest and recovery. Technically, sitting in front of the TV mindlessly is rest but it is not recovery. Recovery is doing something that renews your spirit and soul. What gives you life?
I wish you health and happier days.