Resilience in Leadership: Thriving Together - Part 2

Here is Part 2 of my piece on "Resilience in Leadership." This piece will delve further into the 'how' from a more introspective and personal point of view.

With the experiences that have been placed in the memory bank over the years, it has been critically important to the continuous personal growth, to acknowledge all of these experiences by reflecting and learning, and help build a resilient and optimistic mind.

Feel free to leave your thoughts, and if you have not had a look at Part 1, click the link to set you up for this 2nd piece. https://www.impactzone.com.au/post/resilience-in-leadership-thriving-together

Am I Resilient?

Just as team resilience is essential, it’s equally important for each of us to develop personal resilience practices to strengthen the whole. From an individual perspective, a good way to think of it is that resilience is built from being resilient. Creating opportunities to be resilient and understand how to work through challenges is critical. Although we all have moments where we don’t feel like we are being strong, this is the time to reset and build on where you have been. Having clarity on the path to resilience starts with consistency. Here are some tips to build that consistency.

Tips for Building Your Own Resilience

Practice Self-Care: Prioritise physical and mental well-being with regular exercise, quality sleep, and time for relaxation, which help you stay strong and clear-minded.

Cultivate a Growth Mindset: View setbacks as learning experiences. Focusing on what you can learn from challenges builds mental toughness and prepares you for future obstacles.

Stay Connected: Lean on your support network, whether family, friends, or mentors. They offer perspective, encouragement, and remind you that you’re not alone.

Develop Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing to stay grounded and manage stress in the moment.

Set Realistic Goals: Break down challenges into manageable steps. Tackling tasks incrementally can make daunting situations feel achievable.

Be Clear on Your Process: Put together consistent days, consistent weeks and consistent months. Understanding what sets you up for success is the key to bouncing back.

Reflect and Adjust: Take time to assess your progress and adapt as needed. Reflection builds awareness of what’s working and what’s not, so you can respond more effectively to future challenges.

Personal practices:

Resilience when shared and nurtured in us and others, becomes a powerful force. I have included some pieces in my process that allows me to work at my best. We all have different circumstances, so I’m not looking to compare, but reflect on a what helps provide others with my best:

1.        “Win the morning, win the day”: One of my great late mates Jake Ryan’s favourites saying. And although some people think my morning process is ridiculous, he would ask for more. I have an exercise routine I complete in the sauna followed by an ice bath. This for me is my resilience building resilience.

2.        Clear mantra, statement or utterance:  My behaviour, demeanour or dealings are Clear, Calm & Non-judgemental. Do I nail it 100% of the time… No. It’s to hold myself to account.

3.        Clarity in my role: Within my thoughts, I spend 5 minutes, so I am clear on the expectations and requirements for the day. I tend not to miss small details if this is part of my practice.

4.        Chat in the corridors: I will engage anyone in the organisation with conversation, it’s not difficult to ask people how their day has been.

5.        Connect with players & coaches: Making sure that all parties are clear. These touch points also give me valuable information and build connections.

6.        Remain flexible: In my job the days are unpredictable depending on many factors. Adapting to change is a great way to build resilience.

7.        Have fun: There aren’t many days that I will not have fun in my workplace, regardless of the situation.

8.        Reflect: We all have good and bad moments each day.  I walk home from my job, so I spend that period reflecting on my day, which often sets me up for my next day. Any thoughts of high importance will get noted that evening.

9.        Connect with my family: When I walk in the door at home, I won’t say never, but rarely allow anything that has happened in my day dictate my behaviour at home. My family are my biggest support. They deserve to get me at my best.

These small actions, routine, processes, from corridor chats to post-work reflections, reinforce the habit of resilience by keeping me connected, grounded, and prepared to adapt to the unexpected. Just when we feel like we have it right, we often confront unexpected circumstances that will again challenge us in a different way. If we think of resilience as not only a personality trait, but a way of seeing and interacting with the world, our experiences, relationships, and our inner belief. It is embracing life’s challenges as part of something bigger, a continual process of growth, adaptation, and renewal. It’s a practice of openness, where we draw strength from within as well as those around us, with sometimes the closest to us showing the greatest strength. As leaders, when we approach resilience as both an individual AND a shared endeavour, we don’t merely survive – we can help elevate each other, finding new potential and purpose in every challenge.

As you lead your team, remember that resilience is a journey taken together. If we embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, both for yourself and those you lead, we can foster resilience collectively—we can thrive together.

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