Emotional composure and resilience are essential skills for strengthening communication, resolving conflict, and building and sustaining rewarding relationships.
Emotionally resilient leaders have a tremendous, positive influence on their teams and organizations that fuel increased employee engagement, higher productivity, and a more innovative and adaptive organizational culture. And amidst today’s climate of significant change, resilient leadership becomes a driving force for overcoming challenges and steering the organization toward success.
So How Does One Build Resilience?
Emotional resilience is the ability to respond to stressful or unexpected situations and crises with mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper. And while some portion of emotional resilience may be inherited, it is a soft skill largely formed though life experiences, training, and conscious practice.
By building a healthy reserve of emotional composure and resilience through skill development, leaders can more easily and more seamlessly tap into healthy behaviors when needed.
An Exercise in Building Emotional Resilience
Reflect on a challenging situation in your work or personal life. Use the following ten questions to help you move from a sense of being overwhelmed to a sense of possibility or neutrality. Revisit this exercise often to hone emotional resilience and shift unhealthy patterns of thinking that may be holding you back.
- What is the situation?
- What specifically about this situation do I find so challenging or overwhelming?
- How are my thoughts in this moment a reflection of fear, self-limiting beliefs, or close-mindedness?
- How do I feel when I think these thoughts, i.e., do my thoughts bring stress or peace into my life?
- Am I absolutely sure that my thoughts about the situation are realistic and objective?
- How would I feel without these thoughts, i.e., would I feel more peaceful? Can I let these thoughts go?
- What is at least one thing about the situation that is possible?
- What is one step that, if taken, would move me forward?
- How do I feel when I imagine myself moving forward and taking that step?
- Can I take that step? Would I take that step? If so, when?
The first step in building emotional resilience, is becoming consciously aware of your thoughts and reactions in those challenging situations. The doorway to mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper will then be open. And with that equanimity, comes the foundation for powerful, emotionally intelligent (EQ) leadership.
About the Author
Susan Steinbrecher is Founder and CEO of Steinbrecher Group, an established, leadership development firm that delivers sustainable success through an innovative, proven partnership model that prioritizes conscious, authentic, EQ-driven leadership. Her expertise has positively impacted companies of all sizes, across a wide range of industries worldwide, including Bank of America, BNSF Railway, Capital One, Concentra, CVS Health, Delta Airlines, Hilton Worldwide, and Starbucks Coffee Co.
Prior to coaching, Susan was a rising star with one of the country’s best-known hotel chains for 14 years, going from entry level to the chain’s youngest general manager in history to leading the company’s strategic training and development initiatives.
Susan is the author/co-author of 5 books including Meaningful Alignment: Mastering Emotionally Intelligent Interactions at Work and In Life; Kensho-A Modern Awakening- Instigating Change in an Era of Global Renewal (Amazon best seller); and Heart-Centered Leadership: An Invitation to Lead from the Inside. She is also a professional speaker, most recently delivering the keynote address for a corporate conference of over 10,000 hospitality professionals on the topic of Heart-Centered Leadership.