Leaders are finding themselves exhausted, which is no surprise as we survived Covid, having skillfully navigated our personal lives, work teams, and organizations. As we exit the pandemic mode and enter a hybrid work mode, many leaders find themselves and their teams lacking the same drive and commitment they had pre-pandemic. The recent war on talent further compounds an already difficult situation for leaders. After two and a half years of near-stability, firms are experiencing talent exits on an unprecedented scale, creating instability once again.
The year 2020 has undoubtedly tested us, and likely when reflecting, those who were resilient during such a trying time will stand out to us, whether it be an organization, leaders, or individuals. When reflecting on personal resilience, what traits come to mind? Is it someone calm under pressure? Is it a person who doesn’t let challenges overwhelm them and keeps going? Resilient people often appear better equipped to thrive and prosper during periods of stress. In organizations, teams made up of resilient individuals often are able to tackle change with less resistance. In this two-part blog series, we’ll first explore the qualities associated with resilience. In the second post, we’ll consider tools to identify personality traits that help predict and support the development of resilience, as well as identify specific steps to consciously build resilience.
Are you wearing shoes? While women have seen some big movement recently in breaking the glass ceiling, there are still barriers to career advancement, including the glass cliff. All leaders, regardless of gender, need to be aware of the barriers that prevent more women – particularly women of color – from effectively growing their careers. We already know that diverse teams, including teams with a mix of genders and races, outperform other less diverse teams and businesses (see leanin.org, catalyst.org, and studies by Stanford and the Women at Work initiative).