An important component of impactful leadership is the ability to get up after being knocked down. Because, as it turns out, impactful leaders are resilient.
Resilience Defined
It’s an understatement to say that a career will be marked by set-backs because that’s simply part of it.
Fact is, challenges, especially early in life, are not just career related. For example, how many success stories have you read about overcoming poverty? Or, physical challenges? And awkward social skills? Or, learning disabilities?
Often, survivors are those who exhibit resilience. As such, they can recover, snap back, or find another way forward in the face of challenge.
Building Resilience
Moreover, they learn from those setbacks so they are better equipped to function the next time around. As such, they accumulate experiential insight as they experience experiential refining.
Experiential insight recognizes I cannot add more hours to a day. However, I can learn from, and be refined by, the hours I have!
Therefore, those leaders build capacity and new learning through both positive and negative experiences.
How so? By seeing challenge as a learning opportunity, not an end point. Thus, an abundance mentality sees the growth potential in challenging circumstances!
However, that learning implies self-reflection and a willingness to seek assistance.
In addition, it requires that I change course as I acquire experiential insights.
Conversely, the resilient don’t resign themselves to what is. Instead, resilient leaders look for ways to shape what can be.
Interestingly, while resignation and resilience are close to each other in the dictionary, they’re polar opposites in regard to the response pattern of a leader!
As such, impactful leaders are resilient.
Observations About Resilience
Unsurprisingly, Proverbs 24.16 defines resilience in terms of falling and getting back up, repeatedly. In addition, the verse links resilience to a just character.
1). Moreover, in Proverbs 21.22 resilience is connected to overcoming long odds.
2). Whereas, Proverbs 24.10 emphasizes endurance during trying times.
3). Also, the ability to persist and recover comes from within us, according to Proverbs 18.14.
4). Resilience and its first-cousin persistence allow me to succeed by simply staying with it, Proverbs 25.15.
5). Remember, nothing beats a positive attitude in the face of challenge, according to Proverbs 15.13, Proverbs 15.15, and Proverbs 17.22!
Like it or not, resilience is an outcome of the refining process that builds my character, Proverbs 17.3 and Proverbs 27.21.
In other words, experiential refining produces a stronger character, when I respond appropriately.
Thus, the observation in Ecclesiastes 7.3-4 that character building is often unpleasant!
An Unpleasant Truth
Now, stop! Does difficulty always improve our character? Also, does challenge always make people better?
Of course not!
You know that person. Everybody runs away when they come down the hall! Or, everyone groans when they come into a meeting.
They’re bitter and sarcastic. And, they’re beaten down by life experiences. Hence, everything is always wrong!
Why? Because of deliberate choice.
Because of not seeing another way forward. As it turns out, they’re always the victim. And, somehow, they’re never responsible for their life outcomes.
Instead, why not deliberately choose another way to live? Or, why not change your perception of circumstances?
Personal Insight
A co-worker lives with a special-needs child. Unfortunately, the situation is never going to get better.
However, the co-worker never complained or brought up the challenges. So, how did I find out about the situation?
Well, the co-worker asked me about a grandchild of mine who had special needs, based on a photo on my desk. As it turns out, that co-workers spouse was involved in a support group, thus they offered to assist us.
We lost that grandchild. And, because of constant hospitalization, we never held him. But, we received significant support from family, friends, and others.
For us, the difficulty lasted just under a year. However, for my co-worker their situation remains.
Fortunately, they choose not to become bitter and not to become overwhelmed in the face of on-going, daily challenges.
They are making a deliberate choice of finding another way.
In so doing, they’re exhibiting resilience.
Leadership Insight
In Second Samuel 23.4 we read that a just and reverent leader is a source of light “… like the morning light when the sun rises on a cloudless morning …”
An effective leader multiplies his or her influence by being a light giver.
In fact, effective leaders are a light source because they have an abundance mentality.
As such, they find a way forward, rather than dwell on problems. Or, play the victim. Or, resign to circumstances rather than to engage themselves and others.
Sometimes, the way forward involves serious trade-offs that challenge our values.
For instance, as I write this, leaders are dealing with a world-wide pandemic. And, as a result, nations are making a trade-off between severe economic shock and preservation of life.
“… therefore choose life …” Deuteronomy 30.19
Wherefore, that deliberate choice will have a far-reaching impact on world-wide trade patterns and economic vitality for an extended period of time.
Nevertheless, nations are looking for a way forward in the face of severe uncertainty.
How so? By being resilient. Likewise, impactful leaders are resilient.
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