Issue 48: Building Resilience in Your Team

"I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall."

— Serena Williams

Welcome to our 48th issue! Serena's quote is spot on. If you're up to big things, failures and setbacks are always on the menu. Let's talk about the importance of building resilience in your team.

Life and work move fast, and setbacks are part of the deal. I often say that things RARELY go according to plan. Whether it’s a missed deadline, a failed project, or just an unexpected curveball, resilience—your ability to regroup, rest up, and bounce back—is the difference between moving forward or falling apart.

Ignoring resilience and assuming your team will “just figure it out” is what puts them on the path to burnout and a lot of wasted energy trying to recover after every bump in the road.

Here’s what it looks like when you ignore resilience:

• Setbacks take a toll: Your team freaks out when things don't go as planned and they lose morale and momentum.
• Change feels literally impossible: You know those never-ending changes at work? Those small changes can cause resistance and disengagement, making progress feel even harder than it needs to be.
• Burnout creeps in: Too much stress and pressure without relief leads to exhaustion, high turnover, and everyone operating on empty.

What You Can Do Instead:

1. Help them reframe: Help your team see challenges as opportunities to get creative, learn, and grow, not just roadblocks. Think of a recent setback your team faced. How did they respond, and what role did you play in shaping their perspective on the situation?
2. Model adaptability: Encourage curiosity, flexibility, and skill-building so that change feels less like a threat and more like an adventure... ok, maybe not an adventure, but something new and interesting. How do you personally respond to unexpected changes or setbacks? What might your team be learning from watching you?
3. Provide support: Give your team the support they need to make it through the rough patches - clear communication, reasonable expectations, and a focus on well-being. Think of a time when your team felt supported during a tough period. What made the difference, and how can you replicate that support moving forward?

When I work with leaders, I remind them (not always successfully) that building resilient teams is not about slapping a “stay positive” sticker on problems. It’s about creating a culture where your team can handle the unexpected and even ridiculous challenges, bob and weave, get strategic as change happens, and stay grounded when the pressure builds.

Resilient teams can not just make it past the roadblocks but can actually come through sharper, more motivated, and prepared for whatever’s next.

If you’re ready to build a team that doesn’t just survive challenges but can actually build on them, let’s connect. Schedule a consultation, and we’ll create a plan to strengthen your team’s resilience and help them navigate whatever comes next with confidence.

Next Week's Preview:

Next week, we’ll tackle why being "the fixer" is holding your team back—and what to do instead. In the meantime, think about one small way you can encourage your team to take ownership of challenges and see how it shifts their approach.

Go out there and lead,

Asia