In turbulent times, where change is inevitable, it makes sense to strengthen your ability to adapt. One way to do this is by increasing your resilience, or how you remain healthy under stress.
Hardy leaders have a strong sense of life and work commitment, a greater feeling of control, and are more open to change and challenges in life. While not immune to the ill-effects of stress, someone who is very hardy is strongly resilient. They tend to interpret stressful and painful experiences as a normal aspect of existence, part of life that is overall interesting and worthwhile.
Developing your own resilience as a leader and encouraging a hardy workplace sets the stage for success in your organization. Based on Paul Bartone’s research in military organizations, four strategies have been identified that allow leaders to develop their resilience and within their teams.
Demonstrate a strong sense of commitment, control, and challenge when responding to stressful circumstances
Stress can be valuable, and stressful events always at least provide the opportunity to learn and grow. Subordinates observe their leaders closely and will tend to model themselves after the leader’s example. Be visible. Show a passion for the work, and an interest in those who are doing it. This reminds everyone of the importance of who they are and what they’re doing. When a crisis or challenging situations arise, these can be golden opportunities for leaders to demonstrate hardy responding to stress.
It’s important to project a calm approach. Assess the situation, form a plan of action to deal with it, and always show an interest in learning from the experience.
As a group, discuss mistakes and failures in a positive way
For example, do we accept responsibility for mistakes and seek to learn from them? Or do we blame others and avoid responsibility (and learning)? Leaders build resilience by setting high standards while addressing shortfalls and failures as opportunities to learn and improve.
While most of this “sense-making” influence occurs through normal day-to-day interactions and communications, it can also happen in the context of more formal after-action reviews or debriefings that focus attention on events as learning opportunities and create shared positive constructions of events and responses around events.
Capitalize on group success by providing recognition, awards, and opportunities to reflect on and magnify positive results such as pictures, company newsletter stories, employee or team of the month awards, and so forth.
Provide opportunities for constructive performance feedback on a fairly regular basis
These should open the door for growth and learning opportunities where appropriate. Ensure you have the right team members who welcome feedback and are eager to take constructive measures when needed.
Setting reasonable goals and standards for achievement can help keep members challenged. Here also, it’s important to show that you as a leader are also open to feedback and change. This means providing employees with meaningful opportunities to express their own views on how to do things better.
Provide opportunities for socializing and interacting on the job and outside of work
At work, provide comfortable areas where workers can meet informally, such as lunch and break rooms. Sponsor offsite team activities such as sports competitions, community and charity benefit projects, and educational or professional development trips. These also serve to build organizational cohesion and social commitment.
Social support from co-workers is an important element for positive coping with stress and reinforcing a resilient mindset.
How we make sense of experience can be contagious in social groups. Capitalize on this by building a work culture where hardy, constructive coping with stress is the norm.
