Resilient Leadership

The term resilient leadership was referred to quite often during the financial crisis and again now with the global pandemic, it comes up in most conversations. While it is imperative that we speak of resilience in a crisis situation, resilience is a core quality of any leader, not just in a crisis situation. In fact, it a crucial quality that all high performers should cultivate. 

Everyone is resilient to a degree, to train yourself so that it becomes part of your DNA, makes you a great leader. One of the habits that Stephen Covey talks about – “Begin with the end in mind” – the focus on the ultimate goal makes you resilient to the small or big bumps on the road. 

When a crisis or conflict looms, the ability to take stock and evaluate what is important to you, your team and the organisation, and painlessly steering towards that goal, defines a resilient leader. 

There are five Rs which make a resilient leader:

• REFLECT – Pausing gives you the space to evaluate a situation. While it is not easy to take out time from busy corporate life, all great leaders do set a “time” each day to pause and reflect. This is the “me” time, this is the time to rejuvenate and recharge. Pausing, rather than heading straight into action mode, ensures that the steps taken are more measured and effective in the long run. 
• RESPONSIBLE – A resilient leader is always in charge – people want to be led, with or without a crisis. Think of what are the factors which are non-negotiable and make them priority. Define a plan and lead by example – this will give confidence to the team that there is a future.
• RESOLUTE – Be decisive – even with incomplete information, which will be the case in most times, to take an organisation forward, one has to be decisive. A resilient leader is also flexible and can change course based on how the situation unravels. It is about accepting that “this” will not last for ever. Create and evaluate scenarios and keep your focus on the overarching goal.
• RELATIONSHIP – Have empathy – showing your own vulnerability makes you more human and connects you to people as they relate to you as a person and not just their leader. The authentic and emotionally intelligent leader is one who connects with teams, and this connection is crucial, specially in times of uncertainty.  Communication is key in times of crisis – the sincerity, clarity as well as speed of communication can boost the morale of the team and organisation. Staying engaged with stakeholders creates a bond and soon you see everyone working for a common purpose. 
• RECHARGE – As a leader you need to be strong to live with uncertainty and grow in the face of adversity. Your beliefs and values play an important role in building your resilience and this is not just resilience of mind, it also is the resilience that you develop in your physical body as every ounce of strength is needed in times of uncertainty. While the demands may be to work round the clock, rest and sleep are equally crucial for you to ably tide over adversities.

Resilience is not about bouncing back, its forging ahead. It is about being able to not just recover but thrive. Your belief systems play a big part in defining your resilience. 

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