Running a business or building a career can be tough, the challenges can often take us by surprise and knock us flat. We can all think of tough times that we’ve faced, or are facing, it seems insurmountable when we’re going through it.
As Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” It’s good advice, we have to work through the tough times and come out the other side. Getting to the other side is worth it, there is much good to be found there. In particular, we can find our resilience.
By definition, resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. As professional women, there is no question that we need to be tough.
It’s not only important that we have the ability to move on from difficult times, we need to expect difficult times. They are an inevitable part of the journey to success. By expecting them to occur we reduce the shock factor when they do arrive, and they will.
Every time we adapt, deal with and bounce back from a setback we are building our resilience. This is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your repertoire.
Resilience is key to successful leadership, especially in challenging times. It is easy to lead when times are great, but it’s how you hold up in the face of adversity that really counts. When you can do that well you will find it easier to overcome challenges. You will also gain the respect of others.
So how resilient are you? Can you deal with setbacks and obstacles easily or do they knock you for six?
Do they eat away at your confidence? Do you find that you hesitate to step up again?
One of my favourite quotes is Charles Darwin’s: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, but rather, that which is most adaptable to change.” Changes, challenges and setbacks are going to come up time and again. We need to get used to such situations and bounce back each time. Developing our resilience, is not too difficult when you have knowledge and self-awareness.
Here are a few tips to get you started.
- Self-Awareness
Like leadership, resilience begins with the self. It is an internal process, it’s how you adjust to change and stressful times and it’s how you react. Begin by observing your own reactions to demanding situations; are you anxious, withdrawn, and aggressive? We must acknowledge our behaviour before we can change it.
- Keep the big picture in mind
When you have a purpose and vision in mind you see obstacles as a bump along the road to success rather than a deal breaker. Keep your long term goals in mind as you deal with the drama at hand.
- Learn from your mistakes
Holding yourself accountable after a disappointing result can make a huge difference to your resilience. You will feel empowered when you take responsibility for what took place and how you contributed to the outcome, and what you would do differently next time. Therein lies the lesson in the exercise.
- Confidence
Having belief in your own abilities contributes to your resilience. If you know that you are capable and strong, you will view the situation more as a setback than a failure. Confidence is a key ingredient to leadership and success. If you would like some confidence boosting tips feel free to download your FREE Confidence boosting Tips eBook here.
We are not born resilient, we learn, practice and develop resilient behaviours, like we do many others skills.
