If 2021 was all about getting through the mad scramble, 2022 is focused more on the things that make us human – our resilience, our emotional intelligence and our connection to the people we work with and the work we do.
The word we are hearing so frequently is “burnout.” After two years of this pandemic, and people juggling home and work… we’re all feeling like we are stretched to the max. So, how can leaders be a source of support and motivation for others when they aren’t feeling strong and motivated themselves?
Resilience Defined
Resilience is the ability to quickly recover from stress, whether physical, mental, or emotional. The more resilient you are, the greater your ability to bounce back after challenges and the greater your ability to deal with the demands of the workplace.
When you are resilient, you are better at staying present, more adaptable to change and better able to hold up under pressure – despite what life throws at you.
5 Ways to Increase Resilience
Your level of resilience influences your effectiveness as a leader. It affects your ability to get things done, overcome challenges and have the greatest impact. Here are five ways to ramp up resiliency in the workplace.
- Build Supportive Networks
Maintain healthy relationships at work and home. Talk to friends, family, co-workers for support. Nurture relationships and work to have positive connections.
- Choose Optimism
A positive outlook and viewing change and stress as positive can set you up for success and keep you from focusing on the negative. Reframe your outlook on a difficult situation by looking for the silver lining. Remember to have self-compassion in difficult times.
- Set Clear Boundaries
Don’t give away all your time and energy for nothing in return. It’s important to say “no” so that you still have time for yourself.
- Lean into Acceptance
What you resist persists. Rather than focus on what you can’t control or change in a situation, it’s often best to focus on what you can.
- Be Vulnerable
Traditional leadership is centred around projecting strength and confidence. However, the pandemic has exposed our fragilities. Once you strip off that armour, you can empathize, communicate and collaborate much better. Vulnerability is not a weakness, it’s a strength.
Resilience is a muscle, and by helping employees strengthen it, you can build happier, more stress-resistant teams. In our experience, group coaching can help leaders build healthy cross-functional networks and increase both leadership self-awareness and the ability to be vulnerable.
Need Help Creating a Culture of Resilience?
If you’re curious about how The Roundtable can help your organization develop a more resilient leadership team, let’s start a conversation. And, be sure to download our 2022 L&D Trends Report for more insights into the issues affecting L&D professionals in the year ahead.
