Blog
6 Ways to Model Resilient Leadership
February 12, 2020
Our lives and workplaces throw more at us than ever before. From adapting to changing technology, to managing an intergenerational workforce, leaders have a responsibility to demonstrate hardiness and resilience in their management style.
What does a resilient leader look like?
Resilient leaders recognize that one leadership style isn’t applicable to every situation, or for coaching and developing every employee’s skills.
In some situations it makes more sense to lead, and in others it’s more appropriate to involve others in building a strategy. Resilient leaders know the difference, and can easily shift their behaviour and responses to meet the needs of any situation.
6 Ways to Model Resilient Leadership
Hardy leaders are effective leaders, and by developing an understanding of our hardiness and resilience, we can learn to model these behaviours and coach team members so they can achieve their highest potential.
In addition to investing in leadership training and development, here are six ways you can model resilient leadership at work:
1. Change must be led by CEOs and Executives
Business leaders need to model the behaviour they want to see, and to avoid a top-down process of administering change to everyone but themselves.
Sustainable cultural change can only occur when everyone from the CEO to the most recent hire are all “on the same page” about why change needs to occur, and their role in helping usher in those changes.
2. Show compassion, not indifference
Especially during challenging times, leaders may slip into indifference about their team’s well-being, or may become resentful of their teams.
Resilient leaders make a point to lead from a position of compassion based on social awareness and empathy. This creates a mutual respect between leaders and team members, and increases employee wellbeing.
3. Create a high-trust culture
Leaders who are not confident in their ability to lead often take steps to make others fearful of them. Unfortunately, this approach not only makes employees resent their boss, but also leads to a dip in productivity and creative decision-making, since employees may be fearful of speaking out.
Experimentation and problem-solving can only occur when trust is high, so build a high-trust culture by making space for creativity, and for failure.
Are you ready to become a resilient leader? Contact us to order your own Hardiness Resilience Gauge report.
4. Make resilience part of your company’s wellbeing policy
Often, organizations will take a fragmented, situation-based approach to wellness, resilience, and emotional intelligence.
Applying an integrated approach can reduce costs, reduce confusion, and improve the impact that these programs have on your staff.
5. Recognize resilience in others, and cultivate it
Embracing change and encouraging others to learn to be adaptable and hardy is how forward-thinking companies stay ahead.
When speaking to your team about incoming changes, make sure to frame them in a positive light.
Remind your team that change isn’t something to be endured; it’s an opportunity to grow and develop further.
6. Encourage ongoing professional development
Encourage your team to learn to understand how they react to change, and how to become more adaptable. Focusing on professional development helps employees learn to play to their strengths and develop lasting abilities that help them be more productive and happier overall, not just at work.
Start Modeling Resilient Leadership Today
Organizations can only exist sustainably by employing and investing in resilient, productive people.
In this time of rapid change, it’s imperative to boost your resilience, stress tolerance, and adaptability. Start developing yours now by registering for our on-demand Hardiness and Resilience Gauge certification.
Interested in understanding how you react to change? Sign up for our On Demand/Online Change Style Indicator Certification — now just $999 + GST. Learn more here.