A simple definition of resilience is the ability to withstand, adapt to or rebound from extreme challenges or adversity. Resiliency has always been an important characteristic of effective leaders but there is a growing consensus it is more critical today than ever for at least two reasons: volume and velocity.
Leaders today face more challenges (volume) at faster intervals (velocity). Digital technology in the form of social media makes it easier for people who oppose an idea or initiative to express their opinions with more people (volume) much more rapidly (velocity).
This may be one of the contributing factors to the increase of CEO turnover and the decrease in tenure. Resiliency matters.
Most of the great leaders of history would never be viewed as great if they did not have the resiliency needed to overcome early setbacks and stay the course long enough for their “finest hour moment” to come.
In this months vlog, Steve Moore shares about the importance and ingredients of leadership resiliency as illustrated from the life of Winston Church and the prophet Jeremiah. Churchill faced a failure moment early in his political career and Jeremiah had the only copy of his life work burned in the fire. Both of them were resilient and that’s why we remember them today.