In business, leaders are looked upon with respect, and usually are where employees look to when in need of guidance or inspiration. When we think of jobs which require grit and resilience we may think of labour intensive work such as farming, construction, mining as well as office- based roles such as sales where resilience is vital. We do not often think these are characteristics a leader needs – I mean, they already know everything, right? Wrong.
If you have read our earlier blogs, then you know how important it is to have an open and transparent relationship with your workforce. They should know you have weaknesses, as well as knowing you will support them with theirs. Things do not always go smoothly in business, there will be testing times. Having the right mindset is key, continually questioning if you are doing the right things and have confidence in your own ability are important. However, without the grit needed to continue down a seemingly barren path, even if you know it is the right thing can be tough, and only the best leaders find the treasure at the end of this path.
Ask any salesperson about resilience, and they will tell you it is not only important, but also very easy to say you need it without having had your resilience well and truly tested. To be continually knocked back, rejected or just plain ignored is tough. The same can be said when you are a leader and your ideas to higher level management are seemingly not acknowledged, your workforce productivity is down, or you are struggling with the increasing workload that comes with leading a team. In these times is where resilience is your best friend, and a stress ball!
Always remember, the culture you create with your team will ultimately make or break you. Engage your workforce, let them see your weaknesses and allow open and honest discussions and they will repay you with support in the testing times. Resilience is not just about grinning and bearing it on your own; it is about knowing when and how to reach out and share the load with the people around you and helping them to do the same.
Join us to discuss Leadership on the 9th May for our CMI Leadership BBQ Lunch – https://goo.gl/MR6hnA
