How can you help leaders maintain resilience during change?

While change is not easy, it is the constant reality of life. If you are not evolving (i.e. changing) you are becoming irrelevant. This is as true for an organization as it is for an individual. And while change is scary and uncomfortable, it is an opportunity to strengthen, grow, and advance when approached well. Leaders do an exceptional job of influencing people to adopt this growth mindset, to view change as a positive opportunity rather than a negative alteration of life. To do this well requires relationships of trust. You must develop truly human connections with those around you so that you can better understand their perspective (fears, motivations, etc.). When you know those around you, you can partner with them thru change.

In a world that constantly changing, deepen self-awareness empower leaders to identify potential stressors, allowing for proactive strategies to mitigate their impact, by recognizing and managing their emotions, fostering a positive & resilient mindset that not only withstands changes but embraces it as a way for personal and professional growth. As an executive coach I always encourage leaders to regularly reflect on their experiences, decisions & emotions. Keeping a Journal can help them gain insights into patterns of behavior and thought.

Some of us crave change. There's a psychological phenomenon - the "Scout Mindset". Those people see changes as fun, an adventure, and desirable. Get people with Scout Mindsets on your team. Their perspective will calm the rest of the team - it may even be infectious. Change is the only constant, why fear it?

Leadership in the context of managing change involves understanding and navigating the emotional and psychological stages that individuals experience. The Kubler-Ross model, often applied to change management, outlines five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Effective leaders recognize these stages in themselves and their team members, adapting their approach to meet the needs of each stage.

Change has never been something that was easy. It varies from one person to the next on their levels of receptivity, but having an overall understanding on the flow of change can make it a more palatable and easy to go through process.

Leaders are people too ;-) They need regular encouragement and need to be reassured about the positive outcomes of any change - no matter how far off they may seem. You can be a beacon of hope by remaining a positive voice in their daily lives.

In my experience, the real secret to resilient leadership is doing the work before it's urgent. It's knowing yourself – your strengths and your blind spots – and being cool with the fact that you're always learning. That said, when sh*t hits the fan, it's about seeing every challenge as a chance to grow. Resilient leaders are those who adapt, learn, and grow. They learn not to waste a good channge or crisis. They constantly, steer their team with a mix of adventure, vision and genuine empathy.

A growth mindset is an absolute game changer for results! When you view every challenge as an opportunity versus a barrier, your mind’s ability to think of creative solutions to solve problems is supercharged. If, on the other hand, you stick with a fixed mindset, you will likely get stuck in the blame, shame, complain cycle. This hinders your minds motivation to even attempt trying to solve problems. Lean into the challenges you encounter and before jumping to assumptions about how it is blocking you from progress, ask yourself some leading questions that will jumpstart your brain’s creative juices: What information are you missing? What is the real problem you are facing? What have you learned from trying to solve this problem?

The winning idea is this: to build a high-performing team, you need to focus on creating a culture of thriving on your team and within your organization, where learning is the norm, collaboration is the rule, and resilience is the spirit that helps you maximize your team's potential. Embrace a growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort and practice. When your team members have a growth mindset, they are more likely to take risks, learn from mistakes, and persevere in the face of challenges.

Cultivating a growth mindset involves seeing abilities as improvable through effort and feedback. It's about embracing challenges and failures as learning opportunities, focusing on progress, and maintaining a positive, curious attitude. For leaders, fostering this mindset in a team means praising effort, offering constructive feedback, encouraging experimentation, and recognizing improvements. This approach helps individuals and teams view change as an opportunity for development rather than a setback.

Building emotional intelligence involves recognizing and managing your own emotions and those of others. Key steps include practicing mindfulness, expressing emotions appropriately, employing coping strategies, and setting clear goals. It's also important to listen empathetically and communicate respectfully. In a team, enhancing emotional intelligence can be achieved by creating a supportive environment, encouraging open communication, addressing conflicts constructively, and fostering collaboration and trust. This approach is crucial for adapting to change effectively.

Emotional intelligence is a promising trend in the work place. According to the WEF, EQ is currently among the top demanded skills and will stay the same for at least 2025. That being said, the ability to adapt to challenging situation, control behaviors and manage emotions is becoming crucial, to handle stress, build a resilient culture and take decisions free from any unconscious bias or simply clouded by negative emotions. As change becomes a key player in business environment, the ability to manage emotions coming with change cant be understated and building a resilient and emotional intelligent culture is the x factor.

As I opened my mouth to speak, the fear receeded. The need to say what I felt. Weighed against the judgement in my head. I’ve made it my job to amplify the voices of others. So that their stories can be heard. If I ask a question in an interview, my voice is cut out in the edit. It’s not about me. I show up in the service of others. Sounds noble, right? But it comes at a cost. The value of credibility comes in. I had (almost) forgotten about the camera filming us that day. It’s usually the thing I stand behind. Orchestrating. A witness, rather than a participant. Observing. Showing more than I might otherwise choose to share. But when standing behind something becomes hiding behind…..

Taking the time to really understand who you are is pivotal in building EI. What are the things that matter most to you (i.e. values)? Are your actions and behaviors aligned to those values? If not, why? When you comprehend who you are, and what you stand for, communicate it clearly and live accordingly you will develop an internal confidence that will support you through many difficulties. Better still, when those around you see that your words and actions align, they will have greater trust in your decisions and perspectives. Spending time reflecting for a few minutes each day is a great way to start this journey. Keep a journal to help you monitor your thoughts. Putting thoughts on paper does a wonder for unburdening your mind.

More than emotional intelligence is the need for perspective. Organizations are all going through change and disruption but to build resilience to cope with the change, leaders need a strong sense of perspective. How have you successfully navigated a change in the past? How have others navigated change? What else is going on externally that can put this change in perspective so that you don't turn it into something more than it is?

When you lean into the areas where you are confident in your abilities and where you are passionate, it serves almost as a fuel for your energy levels. Spending some time engaging those elements of yourself each day will ensure that the more monotonous and challenging work doesn’t lead you to burning out. Not all of us are aware of what our strengths are. In fact, many are probably doing work that isn’t directly tied to their strengths. So how do you know what your strengths are? Look for those activities, that when you do them, you feel more engaged and alert. You feel a sense of excitement or happiness. These are your natural strengths. It might be writing, designing, data analysis, etc. But each of us have strengths – find them!

In times of change, your resilience means accessing your strengths - without burnout! To sustainably bring your strengths, you know how you work, what motivates you, and even your biases. – self-awareness is a resilience superpower. It's about more than just what you're good at; it's understanding how you tick and using that knowledge to adapt to new situations. This 'fluency of self' is crucial for staying flexible and confident through change. Share this idea with your team. Help staff see the complete picture of how and why they work best. (Pro Tip: don’t start with personality profiles) When everyone understands their contribution, the team becomes more self-supportive and resilient.

Leveraging your strengths means using your unique skills and talents to boost confidence and performance, especially in times of change. Identify and appreciate your strengths, and apply them to daily tasks and challenges. Also, seek opportunities to develop and share these strengths. In a team, recognize each member's strengths, assign tasks that align with these, and create learning opportunities among members. This approach enhances individual and team effectiveness in adapting to change.

Seeking and offering support is crucial in managing change, as it can mitigate stress and enhance well-being. To do this effectively, reach out to your network, which may include colleagues, friends, family, mentors, or coaches. Don't hesitate to ask for or offer help, advice, feedback, or encouragement. In a team setting, foster a culture of mutual respect and care. Encourage the exchange of feedback and recognition, provide necessary resources and guidance, and facilitate peer learning and mentoring. This collective support system not only aids individual coping mechanisms but also strengthens team cohesion and a sense of belonging.

Resilient leaders utilize the power of reflection. Reflection allows leaders to take inventory of what's working, what's not working and what they need to let go. Reflection is inner work, an important factor in building resilience.

Maintaining resilience requires a clear and solid vision of your proposal. Only at this stage you became aware of your purpose. Moving forward without a clear direction won't help.

Here are three tips that I feel are super important for leaders to always remember: Effective Communication: Keep open and transparent communication with your team. Share the reasons for the change, the expected outcomes, and how it will impact everyone involved. Encourage questions and feedback to address concerns. Adaptability: Embrace change as an opportunity for growth rather than a setback. Encourage flexibility and adaptability within your team. Self-Care: Remind leaders to prioritize their well-being. Encourage them to maintain a healthy work-life balance, practice stress-reduction techniques, and seek support when needed. Resilience starts with taking care of oneself.

To help leaders maintain resilience during change, provide clear communication about the reasons for change, offer support mechanisms such as coaching or mentoring, and facilitate training on coping strategies. Encourage a positive mindset, acknowledge achievements, and emphasize adaptability as a valuable skill. Additionally, fostering a collaborative and open work environment can contribute to overall resilience.

Remember that leaders themselve are effected by change. Depending on their personalities and strengths, leaders can bear a high EQ loading or stress absorption during time of change. The need to be leading change above the usual daily activites, creates fatigue both physically and emotionally. Putting in place some rotational coverage around leadership can help leaders decompress.