What makes a leader resilient?
I am looking for research on resilience in leadership. If anyone can help by giving me their views or pointing me in the right direction then I will be very grateful.
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May 19, 2016
The ability to keep moving forward. There are always ups and downs along the road. A resilient leader is one who can focus on the next up during the downs and get his team to do the same.
Jan 26, 2016
Hmmm. I think if by resilient, you mean powering through the tough times, coming back and being a stronger leader - facing the nay-sayers when you see a vision that isn't accepted yet - then I think I've come back time and time again because of great mentors and supporters who believe in me. Its that simple. Sometimes it takes longer if my self-esteem has taken a beating; sometimes it doesn't take too long to come back. But leading is about serving and keeping that in mind, keeps the perspective where it needs to be during the tough times.
Jun 27, 2014
Resilience is critical. There are many studies. One of the best sources for this type of information would be Industrial Organizational Psychologists that specialize in leadership development. They utilize assessments of various sorts that measure and identify resilience factors and the effect on leadership every day.
May 13, 2014
Obstinacy (so long as it has enough logic mixed with it to keep it from turning into stubbornness). A great leader once said:
"I don't make right decisions - I take decisions, then I make them right."
All the great leaders of the world were people who stood their ground, against the odds. If you're not going to stand by what you think is right, don't expect others to.
The rest of it comes later. Just make sure you've chosen good ground to stand on, before you fortify it ;)
May 7, 2014
Develop in the discipline of Change Management. Being resilient means being able to anticipate and adjust to internal and external influences in a way that benefits the people you lead and the products and services you provide. Sometimes products and services need to change, but no matter what you and the people you lead need to change. A strong competency for change is essential.
Apr 28, 2014
I'd say from all my research and personal experience of working with world class leaders, leadership comes down to a number of factors.
+ Strong personal identity.
+ A crystal clear vision.
+ A deep sense of hunger and passion for their vision.
+ The humility to know that its NOT about them, its about the people that they lead and serve and the cause they are working towards.
+ A strong network of accountability, coaches, mentors.
+ The ability to delegate and not take on too much.
+ Ability to rest and recharge their batteries.
+ Health and fitness ( healthy body + healthy mind = High performance.
This is just a quick list off the top of my head and in no particular order. Hope this helps and if you'd like to ask me anything else would like my opinion on issue which you do not wish to share here, pls send me a personal message!
Luke
Apr 27, 2014
Being able to work through tough situations with confidence.
I believe that having the ability to work through issues without losing focus on your beliefs. I recently assisted a business to change its culture. They were in a stale mate and needed help making the next move. Their view of what leadership was reverting to the old way of doing things which was hindering growth. In leadership meetings people were shocked at the decisions I made because they were too aggressive or uncomfartable for some. Being disliked by peers and some others above me was new to me however I had to stay focused on the outcome. Some days were very tough but I never lost sight of what was needed also never let anyone either. in short time I proved my method worked and this helped change the paradigm of a company and the leaders.
Put the uncommon effort into the common task... Make it large by doing it in a great way. Orison Marden
Apr 18, 2014
Hi, Paul
Personal resilience is probably one of the most important qualities a leader must have. Leaders are risk takers, so it stands to reason that at some point in their careers, failure will happen. Leaders who have a positive mindset and the ability to learn from failure and not get stymied by it, will be resilient. In answer to your search for research on the topic, I suggest you get a copy of the book Self Management and Leadership Development (2010), edited by Rothstein & Burke, Chapter 13 would be of interest to you.
A leader has to be resilient. I dont believe there is a true leader out there that can not say they have rough moments when no matter how great they plan, how much of a positive environment they surround themselves with. They still have those moments. What set leaders apart from others is that they can think in the moment and work themselves out of the sinking situation.
No matter how tough the situation, they can think clearly and get back on track. Some times it is instant, sometimes may take days, weeks, but a leader forges ahead like the buffalo with its herd in a winter storm. They do it because they know that even though it's a tough path, at the end is a great place.