Resilience as a Leader in Times of Turmoil

As I write this, we are in the midst of COVID-19 and the global chaos this has caused. We’ve been forced to adjust to a new normal for an indefinite amount of time, and none of it is familiar or easy. But the beauty of humanity is our ability to adapt to our ever-changing situations and make the most of our circumstances. I have spent a lot of time over the years reflecting on resilience in leadership, and while resilience is something we should always strive for, it's in times like this that it’s more important than ever.

Regardless of ethnicity, social status, or achievements, society has been under increasing pressure to perform and attain a certain level of success. You might feel like a hamster on a wheel, always running but never really getting where you hope to be. Along the way, many things could throw you off balance, but what matters is how you choose to handle them.

A CEO’s average tenure is about two years, and they have stressful and high-pressure jobs. The average tenure of a sales manager is 19 months. If you are young and just starting out your career, burnout is a real thing, and you need to develop ways to deal with stress and sustain yourself throughout fast-paced seasons in the long term.

While the human body isn’t designed to work endlessly, the rapid advancement of society has made many of us feel like we should keep running the race to win first place. Anything short of that is considered a failure. In businesses, the options you have to expand geographically has increased by several folds. While this can lead to fantastic opportunities, it has also caused more stress and confusion.

So, how can we embrace this fast-paced society and make the most of our circumstances without exhausting ourselves? The first step is to establish and understand your vision statement or mission. If you keep running but don’t know what you're running towards or why you're running in the first place, you'll eventually burn out, with no motivation to persevere.

Every business expects its employees to understand the vision statement and mission, and everything you do must be in line with what your company values. As you make decisions within your role, you're careful to consider what your company would approve of. The same is true for your life.

In a world where you're bombarded by consumerism and competition, it’s important to have a personal mission statement. When you know your purpose in life and the things or people that matter most to you, you'll be better equipped to make decisions that can help you achieve your ultimate goals.

Pandemic or no pandemic - all leaders should be continually working on their resilience.

Create Time to Unwind and Reflect

You can only become more self aware if you take the time to reflect. Good leaders prioritise frequent reflection because it allows them to step back and consider what they have done well and where they can improve. Research suggests that leaders who take the time to do this are more efficient, more positive, and more apt to learn.

Depending on your personality and preferences, reflection can take on many different forms. For some, it may be going out for a walk or a run in nature, while others may prefer enjoying a cup of coffee in a cafe and penning down their thoughts and challenges from the past week. Regardless of what method you use, do something that you enjoy so that your mind can be refreshed and recharged.