Resilience Building is Reciprocal: Empower Yourself and Your Team
Resilience isn't just about bouncing back. (I know, I know. I say this all the time. But most of us weren’t taught this, so it’s harder to overcome our initial understanding of resilience.) Resilience is about proactively adapting and transforming, in a way that aligns with your goals and regenerates your energy.
Resilience is adaptability and transformation that is proactive and high-impact. It’s meant to be co-created in a regenerative, healthy way. It’s a multi-directional process.
Why This Matters:
In today’s leadership landscape, it’s no longer enough to rely solely on academic specialty or technical expertise. True leadership now demands the ability to adapt, inspire, and lead with clarity—especially in unpredictable times.
I shared the insight last week on Instagram that not all managers or administrators are leaders and not all leaders have a positional title. This means we all can step into the responsibility of leadership - whether you’re an educator, health practitioner, academic, parent, neighbor, you name it. Having responsibilities for the care, learning, and wellbeing of others comes with the role of leadership.
When leaders prioritize resilience, they create environments where risk-taking, learning from failure, and continuous growth are encouraged. This is especially important in today’s world, where innovation and creativity are key to success. By investing in resilience, you’re not just improving yourself—you’re uplifting your teams, your organizations, and your communities.
As we wrap up 2024 and usher in the great uncertainty and change of 2025, and you continue to lead your teams or support those around you, here are four steps you can implement right now to build resilience:
Model Resilience: Demonstrate how to cope with change and stress by adopting proactive strategies yourself.
Foster Open Dialogue: Create regular opportunities for your team to share challenges, ideas, and feedback without fear of judgment. Learn how to adopt a coaching approach with others.
Practice Mutual Support: Encourage a two-way exchange by inviting your team to contribute solutions and support each other. Celebrate collaborative wins and acknowledge the role everyone plays in building a resilient culture.
Integrate Wellbeing Practices: Prioritize practices that support physical, emotional, and mental health, and make these practices part of your leadership culture. Lead by example with small, manageable habits like taking short breaks, practicing mindfulness, or setting boundaries around after-hours communication.
As you consider how resilience can shape your leadership and team culture, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on how you can begin building resilience within your organization or community today.
Remember, fostering a resilient team or as a group is a shared journey that starts with intentional actions from leadership. I’m excited to continue this conversation with you—stay tuned for the next newsletter, where I’ll share a compelling case study highlighting how one leadership team applied these strategies with incredible results.
Together, we can create a culture of resilience that supports everyone’s growth and success.