Through our work with clients and recent research we at Cotalent believe that one of the key competencies’ leaders will need to master in the coming months is resilience. This should not come as a surprise given the amount of change organizations are currently facing whether it be the shift to remote and hybrid working, digital transformation, shifting consumer demands and behaviours, inflation, and a looming economic recession.
What is resilient leadership? Resilience is the ability to manage and navigate through adversity both professionally and personally. It is a critical competency that allows leaders to be self-aware and lead self before leading others.
Employees who cannot manage through uncertainty, are less likely to be motivated to perform and more likely to feel overwhelmed.
Empathy plays a critical role in resilient leadership, leaders who understand the needs of themselves and others have increased team performance and productivity. They encourage to create a supportive work environment where their teams feel comfortable to communicate openly as they work through change.
Leaders also need to equally, if not more, focus on themselves. Research suggests that to enable leaders to be more resilient they must manage their own resilience first – “put your oxygen mask on first,” before helping others. Below are some practices to help leaders remain resilient through change:
1. Find purpose and meaning in everything that you do. As we strive to achieve an outcome, reflecting the learnings that come from it will help develop a growth mindset and allow one to see the bigger picture.
2. Clarify your unique contribution. During challenging times, we sometimes doubt ourselves and fear that we are not enough. Reminding ourselves about our contribution, unique skills and key competencies can help us have influence in times of change.
3. Ground ourselves in the facts, assumptions, or judgments we have made. We can initially become more inward focused and set in our own points of view when we are propelled into change.
4. Be mindful. Giving ourselves the space to pause and develop awareness of our own feelings is critical to our mindset. Our mindset to change can have a direct correlation to any outcomes. Rely on others and share your concerns to also get support during challenging times.
5. Continue to learn and to grow. Management and leadership today are continuously evolving, pushing leaders to keep on building their toolbox and evolving their soft skills. Learning and growth are becoming necessities intrinsically linked to leadership.
Change is no longer a single event to map out and go through, in most organizations today, it’s complex and continuous. Ensuring leaders prioritize development of their own resilience competency will ultimately result in better overall organizational performance and an increase in employee retention and engagement.
Connect with us if you want to explore further.
