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developing leadership capabilities

4 Principles for Becoming a More Resilient Leader

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4 Principles for Becoming a More Resilient Leader

Resilience is the ability to cope with and successfully adapt in the face of adversity, uncertainty, or high levels of change. Think of it as a “bounce-back” factor that enables individuals and organizations to recover quickly from difficulties, setbacks, or challenging circumstances. Resilience is not necessarily an innate trait; instead, it is a skill that is developed and strengthened with practice.

Leaders have encountered struggles they never anticipated and had to take hard decisions while facing continuous transformation. To remain competitive, they must be able to adapt quickly, be proactive, and most of all possess resilience in abundance. Ultimately, you cannot develop a workforce that is resilient without resilient leadership.

Develop Psychological Safety

Resilience and psychological safety are essential components of successful leadership. Psychological safety is essential for employees to take risks and participate fully in a team. It creates an environment where individuals can tackle difficult tasks without worrying about experiencing criticism or punishment if the outcome isn’t perfect. Without it, collaboration is severely inhibited and efficiency stunted. Leaders who foster psychological safety create an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking up, voicing their opinions and sharing their ideas.

Resilient leaders also understand that their own resilience is crucial for fostering a resilient team. When senior leaders model resilience, it sends a powerful message to team members that they are supported. It encourages them to take risks and innovate in the face of difficulty. Resilient leaders have a clear understanding of the purpose of their organisation and can remain focused and motivated despite setbacks or uncertainty. They take an active role in creating a culture that builds psychological safety, communicates effectively with team members, and gives feedback regularly.

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Seek Support

Resilient leaders realise that they cannot be strong all the time. They actively seek out and surround themselves with supportive people, such as mentors or coaches, who can provide advice and guidance during difficult times. Leaders should also create a network of trusted peers with whom they can share experiences and receive feedback. This will enable them to develop an objective mindset and gain insight into different perspectives.

Executive coaching is a powerful tool for developing leadership skills and resilience. Coaches provide an objective, non-judgmental space to help leaders recognize their strengths and weaknesses and work through any challenges they may be facing. Executive coaching can help leaders become better listeners, develop communication skills, gain clarity on their goals, and enhance their overall emotional intelligence. Coaches also help leaders identify their own resilience weaknesses, so they can create actionable plans to address them. Working with an executive coach offers leaders the guidance and support they need to build resilient leadership skills and lead organisations through difficult times.

“Resilient leaders take a purpose-driven approach to their work to maintain focus and stay motivated when things get tough.”

Focus on the Big Picture

Resilient leaders take a purpose-driven approach to their work to maintain focus and stay motivated when things get tough. They understand the “big picture” – where their organisation is going and how they are helping it get there. By having this clarity, resilient leaders can make informed decisions and prioritize tasks according to their organisation’s objectives. They are also better equipped to navigate difficult scenarios, as they have a clear understanding of the goal they are aiming for.

Senior leadership training can help leaders develop these purpose-driven strategies and maintain resilience during times of uncertainty. A senior leadership program can equip leaders with critical skills to manage teams effectively, respond to changing environments, and create a purpose-driven culture. Through senior leadership training, leaders can develop the knowledge and skills needed to become more resilient in their role as a senior leader.

Reflect and Assess

Resilient leadership development requires leaders to take time to reflect and assess their own performance. Resilient leaders are committed to learning from their mistakes and developing strategies for improvement. They regularly evaluate their own performance against the organisation’s objectives, identify areas of weakness, and create actionable plans for growth. This enables them to better prepare for any challenges that may arise.

An executive coaching program can play a significant role in an effective leader’s professional development. It provides structure and dedicated space for them to reflect, something that can be difficult to make time for. Including executive coaching as part of senior leadership training, can provide leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to become better prepared for any situation.

Resilient leadership requires personal and professional development, but with the right guidance and support, it is possible to become a more resilient leader. Executive coaching, senior leadership training programs, and personal relationships can all provide key resources for cultivating strong personal resilience. By taking the time to reflect on personal performance, seek out supportive people, focus on the big picture, and develop new strategies for communicating with team members, leaders can become more resilient and better equipped to lead organisations through difficult times.

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4 Principles for Becoming a More Resilient Leader

Human Centred Organisations

How to Build Human Centred Organisations

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How to Build Human Centred Organisations

In order to build a human centred organisation, it is important to first understand what that means. A human centred organisation is one in which the employees’ needs are put first. This can be done by creating an environment in which the employees feel comfortable and safe to express themselves, and are given the opportunity to do so. You need to provide employees with the resources they need in order to be successful, both professionally and personally. Human centred development can help to improve employee productivity and satisfaction, as well as reducing staff turnover. An effective leader must be willing to listen and learn from their employees in order to create a truly human centred organisation.

Create Better Experiences for Employees and Clients

Creating better human experiences is about understanding people and their needs. It’s about designing products, services, and spaces with those needs in mind. It’s about being empathetic and taking the time to understand what makes people happy, what stresses them out, and what makes them feel fulfilled.

This is true both for how you interact with your team members and how they interact with one another as well as clients. Encourage your team to be empathetic towards customers and each other. Teach them the value in diverse perspectives and how to see things from other points of view. This will help them create better experiences for everyone they come into contact with.

It’s no secret that happy employees lead to happy customers. When employees feel valued and supported, they in turn are more likely to go above and beyond for the people they serve. Your leadership style and interactions with your employees should set the example for what is expected in how they communicate with one another and with clients. Creating a human centred organisation isn’t just good business strategy, it’s the right thing to do.

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Promote Continuous Learning

One of the best ways to build resilience is through continuous learning. When you’re constantly learning new things and developing your leadership skills, your mind becomes more flexible and adaptable. You’re able to cope with change and challenges more easily, and you’re less likely to get discouraged when things don’t go as planned. It also equips high performance teams with the capabilities they need to be more resilient and effective at overcoming challenges.

Employees should be encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to develop skills and expand their knowledge. This can be done through formal leadership training courses or high performance team programs. Informal methods such as mentorship, coaching, and job shadowing can also have a significant impact on their career development.

Embedding leadership skill development at every level of the business is one of the key ways to build a more human centred organisation. Creating a culture of learning encourages team members to think of themselves as lifelong learners, which helps them to adapt to change more easily and handle challenges more effectively.

“Creating a culture of learning encourages team members to think of themselves as lifelong learners, which helps them to adapt to change more easily and handle challenges more effectively.”

Encourage Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is a key ingredient in high performing teams. It is understanding that you won’t be punished for taking risks or making mistakes. It’s about feeling safe to be yourself, and it’s something that an effective leader knows needs to be cultivated.

Being able to create a psychologically safe environment is one of the most important leadership skills needed to be an effective leader. Individuals and teams must feel comfortable sharing their ideas, even if they’re not sure if they’re ‘right.’ It also means being open to hearing feedback, as well as giving it in a way that is constructive and helpful. By establishing these norms, leaders can encourage their team members to take risks and be themselves, which ultimately leads to better performance.

The best high performance team programs help leaders to establish psychological safety within their teams. They also provide teams with the communication skills and leadership training to hold space for one another, themselves. When team members have the capability to listen deeply and give feedback with intention, they create the conditions for psychological safety to naturally emerge. As a result, the well being of each individual will come before the task at hand, and the team will be able to achieve a human centred organisation.

To be an effective leader and build human centred organisations, you need to be able to understand and relate to people. You need to know what motivates them, what makes them tick, and how to efficiently manage and communicate with them. Learning to do so will have a positive effect on your leadership development as well as the career development of your team.

The key to all of this is understanding that your employees and clients are the most important asset to your business. As such, you need to build a work environment and culture that is conducive to their success. This is one of the most important leadership skills you can develop. Leadership training courses often focus on techniques and best practices for managing people but neglect to mention the importance of putting people first in leadership. When you have a human centred approach to your leadership style, it creates a positive knock-on effect throughout the organisation.

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About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

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How to Build Human Centred Organisations

high performance teams

Creating and Sustaining Psychological Safety in High Performing Teams

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Creating and Sustaining Psychological Safety in High Performing Teams

High performing teams need psychological safety. This means that team members believe it is safe to take interpersonal risks without fear of negative consequences such as criticism, punishments, being ignored or laughed at. When people feel accepted and respected, they bring their best selves to work. They are more likely to take risks, share new ideas, and give constructive feedback.

Creating psychological safety starts with the team leader. Leaders need to set the tone and make it clear that everyone is valued and respected. They should encourage open communication and discourage blamed-based thinking.

Sustaining psychological safety requires ongoing effort from everyone on the team. It takes time and patience to build trust and create an environment where people feel comfortable taking risks. But it is worth the effort, because high performing teams are able to achieve amazing things.

The Difference Between Psychological Safety and Trust

There is a key difference between psychological safety and trust. Psychological safety means that team members feel safe to take risks without fear of negative consequences. Trust means that team members are willing to cooperate and work together towards a common goal.

Trust is essential for any team to function effectively. Team members need to be able to rely on each other, and they need to trust that everyone is working towards the same goal. It is about how individuals treat and interact with one another.

Psychological safety is a shared belief and team norm that all team members adhere to. It allows team members to take risks and share new ideas, which can lead to innovation and creativity. Everyone in the group feels secure enough to participate.

Creating Psychological Safety In High Performance Teams

Creating psychological safety in high performance teams can be a challenge. However, there are a few things that team leaders can do to set the tone and encourage open communication.

1. Leaders need to set the example and be role models for healthy behavior. They should create a safe environment where taking calculated risks and voicing new ideas is encouraged.

2. Leaders should avoid blame-based thinking and engage in difficult conversations. When team members are able to communicate openly, they are able to resolve conflicts quickly and efficiently.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             It is essential for team members to feel safe to take risks and share new ideas. Understanding the importance of cultivating a psychologically safe environment is an important factor in ongoing leadership development. When team members feel valued and respected, they are more likely to bring their best selves to work and contribute to the success of the team.

“Understanding the importance of cultivating a psychologically safe environment is an important factor in ongoing leadership development.”

Sustaining Psychological Safety In High Performance Teams

Encourage Risk-Taking

Allowing teams to make calculated risks is essential for their success. Risks can lead to innovation and creativity, which are essential for high performance teams. When team members feel safe to take risks, they are more likely to share new ideas and contribute to the team’s success. However, risks need to be calculated in order to avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Team leaders should encourage their team members to take risks, but also remind them that mistakes are part of the learning process. By taking risks and learning from their mistakes, team members can continue to improve their performance.

Tolerating Mistakes

When someone makes a mistake, it can be easy to get angry or criticize them. However, this can actually discourage people from taking risks and sharing new ideas. It can also damage relationships and hinder team progress.

A better approach is to focus on the mistake itself, not the person who made it. Ask what can be learned from the mistake and how you can prevent it from happening again. This is an integral part of high performance team programs. When mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, you create stronger teams and help them in developing leadership capabilities that will make them successful both now and in the future.

For high performing team development to be successful, participants need to feel safe in order to cooperate and work together effectively. Creating psychological safety is essential for building an effective high performance culture.  Leaders should set the tone and example for healthy behavior, avoid blame-based thinking, and encourage open communication. When team members are able to communicate openly, they can resolve conflicts quickly and efficiently. Sustaining a psychologically safe environment is important for high performance teams so that they can continue to take risks, learn from their mistakes, and improve their overall performance.

Book a Consultation

About the Author: The Leadership Sphere

The Leadership Sphere helps small and medium businesses and larger organisations in Australia, in creating value through leadership. The Leadership Sphere provides a humanistic approach to the way it delivers leadership, performance and coaching services. We work with leaders and senior teams who need to gain increased clarity, build capability and ensure contribution at every level in the organisation, and enable a safe, inclusive and  high trust organisation.

Let us help you find what you’re looking for!

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Creating and Sustaining Psychological Safety in High Performing Teams

TIME Magazine - Person of the Year

The “Silence Breakers”

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The “Silence Breakers”

The #MeToo Movement

Time magazine has named “The Silence Breakers,” representing people who came forward to report sexual misconduct, as its Person of the Year.

On Wednesday, the magazine named the #metoo movement — or the “Silence Breakers” as the “Person of the Year,” a nod to the millions of people who came forward with their stories of sexual harassment, assault and rape after big Hollywood players like Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and dozens of other powerful men were accused of sexual misconduct.

“For giving voice to open secrets, for moving whisper networks onto social networks, for pushing us all to stop accepting the unacceptable, The Silence Breakers are the 2017 Person of the Year,” Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthan said in a statement.

Founder of the #MeToo movement, Tarana Burke, appeared on the cover along with actresses Rose McGowan, Selma Blair and Ashley Judd, who broke the silence by coming forward with accusations against Harvey Weinstein. Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler was one of the women on the cover. She posted a powerful blog entry in February about harassment she faced during her time at the company.

Taylor Swift, who won $1 in a sexual harassment trial against a Denver DJ accused of groping her also appeared on the magazine’s cover.

Burke first used the phrase that would be come such a widely used hashtag in 2017 more than a decade ago while working with young survivors or harassment and assault. Actress Alyssa Milano was sent a screenshot of the phrase and chose to send it out on Twitter.

“If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet,” she wrote. She told Time she woke up to more than 30,000 uses of the hashtag and burst into tears.

The focus was not only on those in Hollywood or in TV journalism. A strawberry picker from California named Isabel Pascual was one of many to take to the streets of California to join stars and civilians alike in their march against the abusive behavior.

While many of the people featured in Time’s piece were women from all professions, actor Terry Crews was also included for speaking out against popular agent Adam Venit, who he accused of groping his genitals at a party and is now suing.

What does it all mean for leadership?

It should serve as a wake up call to leaders in all organisations – your central work is to create a culture of safety that enables speaking up so that we no longer have to rely on courage as the vehicle for transparency.

Unfortunately, there are too many examples and case studies to count involving bullying, poor behaviour and a tolerance for toxic cultures.

I have previously written about psychological safety on this blog.

In order to have the type of robust, honest conversations needed, you will need to work on creating high levels of psychological safety. Last November, Google published the five traits of its most successful teams – the first and most important was psychological safety, which has been described as a ‘‘shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.’’  Psychological safety is a necessary pre-condition for conversations that happen early and often, no matter what the problem or opportunity.

How do we create psychological safety?

Here are five ways to foster an environment where people feel safe.

  1. Listen – listening is an underutilised skill! Listen your way to agreement.
  2. Balance advocacy and inquiry – ask at least as many questions (inquiry) as you do tell/express an opinion (advocate). Effective leaders know how to ask challenging open questions rather than just spew out never-ending opinion.
  3. Authority – use your authority carefully and dutifully. Authority should not be your default style and approach.
  4. Don’t judge – our brains are wired to judge our environment, including other people – it helps keep us safe. But it also creates conflict, fear, marginalisation and low trust.
  5. Work on yourself – continue to work on yourself, and in particular what triggers you to move in to fight, flight or freeze. Understand and work on the triggers so people feel they can talk with you in an honest way that won’t send you off.

See the original article here, with thanks from Time Magazine.

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The “Silence Breakers”