How to build resilient leadership in a challenging situation

Organizations cannot go back to the way things were before because the genie is out of the bottle. Leaders and organizations will continue to experience the effects of COVID for years to come. You are not alone if you are now experiencing the pressure and strain of leadership. A different and more complicated environment is posing challenges to many leaders.

Why do some people succeed while others don’t? Resilient leadership is the key to succeeding in this new environment for leaders. However, what exactly is resilient leadership and why is it so crucial? How do you develop your leadership resilience so that you can prosper in difficult, disruptive, and tumultuous circumstances?

You will face new leadership difficulties every day. It comes from every direction, around every bend, even from within. True leadership requires guts because it is founded on integrity, authenticity, and deep connections. It takes work to be a leader who motivates people, helps them, and guides them toward a bigger goal or vision.

The road to leadership is littered with obstacles. Sometimes they act as obstacles. On occasion, the bridge is completely closed. However, every obstacle presents a chance. It’s an opportunity to discover more about who you are, develop new talents, and increase the emotional intelligence that is so essential to effective leadership.

Well in this article, I’ll guide you through how you can build resilient leadership in challenging times and some leadership challenges, and tactics to overcome them. So, the answers to the following questions will be answered:

What Is Resilient Leadership?
Is Resilient Leadership Essential to Successful Leadership?
Is Resilience a Learned or Innate Trait?
How to Build Resilient Leadership in Challenging Times?
What are the common leadership challenges?
How can I overcome these Leadership challenges?

Let’s dive in!

Contents

What Is Resilient Leadership?

“Resilient leaders can sustain their energy level under pressure. So that they can cope with disruptive changes and adapt. They bounce back from setbacks. They also overcome major difficulties without engaging in dysfunctional behavior or harming others.” Professor George Kohlrieser claims that.

According to the Center for Creative Leadership, Resilience is “our ability to respond adaptively to challenges. It’s what helps us get back up again, stronger, after meeting life’s hurdles, disappointments, and failures. It’s more than simply bouncing back from adversity or not breaking in the face of hardship. Resilient leadership also includes growth.”

This definition emphasizes the significance of personal development. There must be a change for progress to take place. Although change is often difficult, it is important. You must develop the ability to adapt and welcome change if you want to develop resilient leadership qualities.

Is Resilient Leadership Essential to Successful Leadership?

Building resilience is essential to becoming a leader who can successfully navigate through problems and lead people with courage and conviction, according to a study by Zenger Folkman. Folkman discovered that managers, peers, and direct reports see leaders with high levels of resilience as being more effective.

Resilience is not a final state of being, but rather a process of adaptation and growth within a risky environment, claims a comprehensive study on leadership and resilience. An organization that is resilient not only survives but also thrives in a changing and uncertain environment.

Nancy Koehn, a professor at Harvard Business School, cites additional evidence that “The ability to persevere through difficult situations while also growing stronger as a result of them is resilience. We live in a world where crises come at us ceaselessly, one after another, like waves breaking on the shore—calamities, emergencies, and unexpected, frequently challenging surprises.

Additionally, leaders have a significant impact on those around them due to their position. It is therefore even more important for leaders to be resilient and successful under stress. if the leader is killed. The group loses. You are the ship’s captain as a leader. You and your team will arrive at your destination unharmed if you develop your resilient leadership talents.

Is Resilience a Learned or Innate Trait?

Neuroscience research has shown that the brain is highly plastic or changeable. Numerous instances of brain plasticity were provided by Norman Doidge in his book The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science. You may therefore learn how to develop resilience because you are not fixed at birth.

This will be simpler for some people than for others. The good news is that you have a better chance of developing resilient leadership qualities in the more difficult scenarios you are exposed to. Your brain can help you with this since it is built to support your ability to learn, adapt, and grow. Its innate survival system includes this. Therefore, the potential for growth increases as challenges increase.

How to Build Resilient Leadership in Challenging Times?

The following are the common ways to build resilient leadership in challenging times:

Growth Mindset
Mindfulness
Being Present
The Power of Purpose
Keep It Real

Growth Mindset

The key to creating resilient leadership is to cultivate a growth mindset. Your capacity to react nimbly to difficulties is what we call resilience. Change is necessary for adaptability, and constructive change promotes growth. Adversity is the fastest way to develop and open up new opportunities. Adversity is necessary for progress since, without it, potential cannot be realized.

Learn to see each obstacle as a chance to become the best version of yourself. Have faith that you’ll always find the solutions. However, you must first look for them. You’re not required to solve the problem on your own. Use the combined intelligence of your team and coworkers to your advantage.

Ask yourself: How could I handle or think about this problem differently the next time you feel upset or overwhelmed by a scenario? Who would make the ideal companion(s) for me to discuss this with? There is always a bigger you inside. Don’t miss a chance to discover your higher self.

You do not have to continue to feel anxious or stuck, in actuality. You can always find a solution if you have a growth mentality.

Mindfulness

Self-help gurus and scientists frequently contend that worrying excessively and robbing ourselves of the moment can be sources of stress and sorrow. It has been demonstrated that mindfulness and mindfulness practices like meditation improve our moods and general wellness.

You are likely familiar with the inner voice that never stops talking. It is constantly compelled to complain, compare, and judge everything as either excellent or terrible. It continually disrupts your ability to focus, think, make decisions, and feel at ease.

This voice frequently gets in the way of your potential to be a resilient leader. If you could control this inner critic, how much more effective and optimistic would you be? You can control your inner critic by engaging in mindfulness and meditation activities. The two straightforward methods that follow can be useful if you are new to these procedures.

Don’t resist your feelings or thoughts.

The next time you have an uncomfortable idea, such as one that makes you feel horrible, guilty, inferior, worried, or any other negative emotion, stop and let the thought or feeling simply be without attempting to oppose it or criticize it.

Exercise your Breathing

The first method is excellent for removing undesirable ideas and emotions at the time they arise. However, the next method will help you if you wish to gradually diminish them.

Being Present

The idea of being in the present moment has been discussed extensively. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle is the most well-known. Being in the now is effective because you are not constrained by limiting beliefs, burdened by mistakes in the past, or concerned about the future. Instead, when you are in the present moment, you have complete access to the power of your mind.

Elite athletes are a good way to illustrate the value of living in the present. Why are they able to perform well one day and poorly the next? Did their abilities overnight suddenly vanish?

What are some ways that you may practice being in the present? Aim to move forward one step at a time. Just as a tennis player concentrates their attention on playing one shot at a time, move from one instant to the next. Start by focusing on a simple task you carry out every day, such as speaking with a team member.

Now imagine that the ball is a team member and you are the tennis player. Take each step slowly and keep your entire attention on the team member. Move through your ideas as we’ve already addressed them if they try to distract you. Afterward, turn back to the team member.

This gets more interesting the more you play with it. Because you are putting all of you into the work and not just a portion of you, every time you practice this, you will get more understanding and clarity. Both your conscious and creative unconscious minds are there in every one of you.

The Power of Purpose

Let’s take a look at an illustration of how the strength of purpose fosters resilience. Consider going on a road trip. But soon into the journey, your car breaks down. Luckily, you locate a mechanic who fixes your vehicle, and you leave once more.

You have reserved overnight lodging due to the distance of the journey. You are exhausted and arrive at the motel much later than anticipated. When you enter the reception area, you are informed that your reservation was given to someone else due to a mix-up. You’re all set to shout. You have no choice but to spend the night in your automobile because of this.

This is how leadership is. There are times when you encounter problem after problem, leaving you feeling anxious and hopeless. Going back to our example: What would you have if you had a clear goal in mind before leaving on your journey?

Perhaps the goal was to see your parents, whom you haven’t seen in two years due to unforeseeable circumstances. It had been the longest time since you last saw them. Both of you are eager to see them because they are so eager to see you.

What would you do, in your opinion, if you found your wallet lying by the side of the road? Would you opt to return home? Or would the desire to see your parents compel you to return home, locate your wallet, and continue your journey? This is the influence of having a goal. As a leader, you will always find the drive to be forgiving when times are rough.

Keep It Real

Another easy and efficient strategy to develop resilient leadership is to keep things in perspective and be realistic.

What are the common leadership challenges?

The following are the common leadership challenges you might encounter in a difficult time:

Providing inspiration
Developing others
Leading change
Handling different perspectives
Dealing with imposter syndrome
Managing a team

Providing inspiration

Your team looks to you as a leader to inspire them and the drive they need to finish their work. This may be difficult if your workplace is demanding or if you’re not feeling very driven.

Encourage your coworkers to concentrate on the value their work generates to encourage others. Share the team’s vision with everyone, and make sure they can everyone understands how their contribution matters.

Developing others

The development of talent and employees is a crucial component of your job as a leader. It’s crucial to identify potential in your team members and encourage their growth. You’ll need to be aware of their aspirations for the future and look for opportunities to push and challenge them.

Make sure you give your team plenty of time to speak. Make sure they have both formal and informal occasions to discuss their career goals and to receive your support as they move in that direction.

Leading change

Today’s leaders face a formidable challenge in guiding a team through change, which can frequently feel uncomfortable or unclear. Employees will look to leadership for direction and certainty as the way we work is changing like never before. It’s critical to acknowledge the emotions of your employees and give them the impression that their worries are understood. Lowering resistance to the change can be accomplished by assisting them in seeing its advantages.

Handling different perspectives

When managed improperly, workplace conflict can have severe negative effects and stress over half (48%) of employees. As a leader, there will be occasions when you need to resolve disputes on the team or between you and a worker. Even though conflict might be unpleasant, you must find a solution before it affects the team.

Encourage listening and compromise if there is a dispute between two coworkers to help them resolve the matter on their own. If one of your employees disagrees with you, be sure to take their viewpoint into account. If theirs is a better one, don’t be scared to modify your strategy.

Dealing with imposter syndrome

It’s typical for leaders, particularly new ones, to lack confidence or believe that they don’t merit a leadership role. The imposter syndrome comes in a variety of forms. You can doubt your abilities or judgment, which could cause you to be unsure of what to do. Alternatively, you might believe that you must do everything by yourself, which might keep you from seeking the assistance you require.

Managing a team

Either you’re new to the team or you were elevated from inside when you become a leader. These two things can both be challenging. You’ll need to establish trust with new coworkers or control a shifting dynamic with longtime ones.

Take the time to discuss expectations with your coworkers and your new team when working together. Decide on how you will collaborate and how you will communicate. Don’t merely disregard being promoted over your peers. Discuss your feelings with them and any frustrations you may be experiencing.

Other common leadership challenges are categorized into:

Communication challenges
Competency challenges
Internal challenges

Communication challenges

The following are the common communication issues a leader will experience:

Keeping everyone on the same page

Keeping everyone informed on events within the business or even the team can be challenging in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Plan brief, frequent one-on-one sessions to ensure that everyone is receiving and comprehending important information. Keep lines of communication open and frequent to ensure that everyone is on the same page. A team must establish a culture of feedback if they are to make genuine growth both collectively and individually.

Staying honest

You will occasionally need to deliver challenging information to your team as a leader. It’s crucial to communicate difficult news or information in the clearest, most honest manner possible. Make sure there is time for you to answer any questions and that you have prepared your speech.

Celebrating the wins

Sometimes it can seem difficult to find time to celebrate achievement because of the rush to finish the work. But it’s essential to maintain the team’s motivation and ensure that their achievements are acknowledged. Celebrate all of your employees’ accomplishments, no matter how big or small. The key to keeping your team engaged and eager to contribute more is to make sure they feel appreciated.

Competency challenges

The following are the common competency challenges in a leadership role:

Making hard decisions

As a leader, you will occasionally need to present your team with hard information. It’s imperative to provide upsetting news or information in the most straightforward, truthful way possible. Make sure there is enough time for you to respond to any inquiries and that your speech has been prepared.

Managing resources

This might be particularly challenging if you have a fantastic team that everyone wants to be a part of. To determine what requests for support you can accept and what you cannot, make sure you are aware of everyone’s workload. Prioritize incoming work by your team’s mission statement to ensure that you accept the requests that add the greatest value.

Delegating

You risk micromanaging everything in your desire to succeed in your new leadership position. It’s critical to develop delegation skills so you can trust your team and free up your time to focus on what matters most. If this is challenging, concentrate on the tasks that will have the biggest impact and request updates on them frequently. the rest can go.

Seeking feedback

Asking for 360-degree input from individuals you are leading can seem weird yet doing so is crucial to your success. Feedback is a chance to find out where you can improve, but it’s also a method to find out what your team likes about your leadership. It can take a lot of trusts for employees to provide feedback in this way, so set up your feedback mechanism to allow it and make sure to respond positively to any feedback you receive.

Internal challenges

The following are the common internal challenges a leader encounter:

Staying positive

Not everything will inevitably go as planned, and for leaders, it can be difficult to maintain optimism when faced with setbacks. But it’s crucial to move past it, particularly if the team is looking to you for inspiration and is experiencing its slump. Recognize your disappointment and consider what you can take away from it. Then use it as motivation to perform better the next time.

Wanting to be liked

No law forbids those of us with a propensity for pandering from holding leadership positions. But it does imply that things will occasionally feel a little awkward.

People may be angry or frustrated by some of the decisions you make in your role as a leader, but that doesn’t imply they’re incorrect. Do be considerate of other people’s feelings, but keep in mind that, while it’s wonderful to be liked, earning respect for your leadership abilities is more crucial.

Staying calm

You’ll probably encounter occasions when your job puts you under a lot of stress or when you need to take charge during a crisis. Being composed and task-focused in stressful situations might be challenging.

Learning to trust

A manager’s responsibility to support and coach his staff to help them perform to the best of their ability is undeniable, yet there is a narrow line between managing and denying others the freedom to do their jobs.

How can I overcome these Leadership challenges?

The followings are ways to overcome leadership challenges:

Look after yourself

It might be tough to lead others. You may occasionally feel intimidated or overburdened by the task. You’ll need to be able to maintain your motivation, manage the anxiety that comes with uncertainty, and prevent burnout and emotional tiredness.

Make sure you set aside time to truly disconnect from work. Despite how tempting it may seem, avoid reading and responding to emails and messages after business hours. It wears you out and gives your team the impression that they should put in extra effort when they shouldn’t.

Get clear on your role

Make sure you are fully aware of your team’s responsibilities as well as your own. This is useful for managing resources and ensuring that you don’t take on too much work or overwork yourself and your team

When you truly grasp your function, you may concentrate on the tasks that only you can complete while distributing others among the team. Delegating can help your team grow by demonstrating your confidence in their ability to complete tasks. Additionally, it gives you more time to focus on areas where you can be most helpful.

Be authentic

Don’t feel like you have to fit into a specific mold because there are many various sorts of leaders and ways to lead. Try out various ways to circumstances as you develop your leadership abilities, but don’t try to be someone you’re not. More than ever, it’s crucial to be a genuine leader.

Find support

Everybody needs assistance occasionally, and leadership can be isolating at times. Make sure you receive the assistance you require so you can perform at your highest level. Check with your line manager or a coach or mentor to see if they can assist you in developing your talents.

Both new and seasoned leaders can benefit greatly from coaching and mentoring. Finding a mentor whose experience you can draw on, as well as receiving coaching, can both be beneficial.

Use feedback to your advantage

Invest in creating a culture at your business that values feedback. You must first teach your leaders how to provide feedback. They will be more at ease providing feedback on their work to their team members as a result. This is crucial while dealing with a problem. Remind them that offering helpful criticism isn’t a bad thing; rather, it’s a means to enable their team to operate more effectively.

Set clear expectations

Establish expectations with clear communication before someone begins their new position. Say you recently recruited a new manager to oversee a team that reports to you. Their job is to support the team, giving them the freedom to finish their tasks while assisting them in developing personally and taking charge of their growth.

This entails, among other things, acting as a buffer between the team and senior management, supporting their schedules so they can complete their work, and assisting them with prioritization.

Communicate often

Make sure that everyone in the organization is aware of the company’s objectives and core principles. Managers need to be especially aware of these corporate objectives and guiding principles. Regular company-wide meetings, posters, or informational sessions with smaller groups could all be used to accomplish this. Whatever method is used, it must be clear so that managers may direct their staff and further convey it to them.

FAQs

How do you become a leader during challenging times?

Stay in contact. Make sure you stay in touch with your colleagues, especially if you’re working remotely.
Ask questions. Leaders may occasionally shy away from probing questions out of a sense of intrusiveness.
Motivate individuals.
Do not carry other people’s burdens.
Ensure your mental health.

How do you overcome challenges as a leader?

How to handle external challenges?

Take initiative. Whatever the circumstance, it’s critical for leaders to take action.
Be innovative.
Deal with disagreement head-on.
Keep an objective mindset.
Look for chances to work together.
Ask for assistance when you are suffering internal difficulties.
Make sure to set some time for yourself.

What are specific ways to improve the leadership situation?

9 Ways to Develop Your Leadership Skills

Practice discipline. A good leader needs discipline.
Take on more projects. A great way to develop your leadership skills is to take on more responsibility.
Learn to follow.
Develop situational awareness.
Inspire others.
Keep learning.
Empower your teammates.
Resolve conflicts.

What are the top leadership challenges?

Honing Effectiveness.
Inspiring Others.
Developing Employees.
Leading a Team.
Guiding Change.
Managing Stakeholders.

What skill should a leader have?

What Qualifies a Leader as Effective? Effective leaders can motivate their team, handle and delegate tasks, listen to feedback, and have the flexibility to solve issues in a workplace that is constantly evolving. These are the qualities that hiring managers look for in candidates for leadership positions.

How do you handle a difficult situation in business?

Here are the five steps to deal with tense business situations:

Recognize that you may never agree on anything.
Talk about Tough Topics Right Now.
Recognize That Money Is Frequently a Booster.
Yin and Yang must be in balance.
Act in response to it.

How can I be a strong leader?

The eight traits of great leadership listed below will motivate you to succeed as a leader:

Be an empathetic leader.
Be a good listener.
Be a model for embracing change.
Incorporate a shared vision.
Develop your followers.
Communicate realistic and clear expectations.
Learn how to handle failure.
Continue your education.

What are the 5 essential leadership skills?

The following are the 5 Essential Leadership Skills and Practices

Self-development.
Team development.
Strategic thinking and acting.
Ethical practice and civic-mindedness.

How can I be a successful leader?

To become a successful leader, you must:

Face challenges. A great leader is brave yet prudent.
Be honest. Inform your coworkers of both good and bad news, and how the company is going to react.
Win trust.
Keep calm.
Pursue your passions.
Listen and observe.
Set an example.
Stay organized.

What are the essential qualities of a good leader?

What Makes A Good Leader? 10 Essential Qualities to Learn

They communicate clearly.
They’re passionate about their work.
They don’t care about being popular.
They keep their minds open.
They work for their employees.
They’re positive and encouraging.
They respect others.
They build relationships.

What defines a good leader?

The good leader maintains and develops skills, knowledge, and experience in themselves and others. A good leader is objective, fair, and reasonable. A good leader takes responsibility for their actions as well as the action of others. A good leader acts with conviction. A good leader provides clear direction.