Resilience: a driving force for change

Is resilience important in change management?

Of course it is.

Complacency is one of the obstacles to progress. Accepting things as they are without making the effort to think about how we can improve them is a path to mediocrity. Every human being has the power to shape their own path; to do so, they possess powerful tools such as reason, intelligence and the ability to turn negatives into positives through the attitude with which they face situations.

If everyone were complacent, not only would the world be a dull place, but the driving force of progress would not be set in motion, and we would be a mass of human beings without ambition or prospects for self-improvement.

Resilience – a psychological term that describes the shift a person makes by transforming negative situations, turning failures and obstacles into positive or beneficial ones, and using mistakes as catalysts for change and transformation – gives us the chance to be different. It is up to us to decide which path to take: that of feeling like failures and defeated, or that of growing stronger and seeking solutions.

Successful people are resilient; they adopt a positive attitude in the face of obstacles. And that is the attitude we must adopt to face our own adversities, without giving up at the first or repeated setbacks. This is of the utmost importance for understanding every opportunity that comes our way and the real possibility of overcoming them.

The question always arises: are resilient people born or made?

Whilst it is true that some people demonstrate a greater ability to cope with and overcome extreme situations from a very young age, we can all develop this ability. We simply need to put into practice a series of habits that will make a significant difference to our day-to-day lives and our lives as a whole.

Here are the five habits needed to be resilient:

Set clear goals

Having clear goals in life, both professionally and personally, will help to channel our efforts in a specific direction. In this way, regardless of the circumstances we encounter along the way, we know where we’re heading. Obstacles may affect us, as they delay our plans; however, we feel the need to bounce back quickly to get where we want to be.

Look for the silver lining

Every situation, however negative it may seem, has a silver lining. We simply need to stop and think, put negative thoughts aside and focus on what that situation is bringing to our lives: strength, learning, and better opportunities we hadn’t considered.

Looking for the silver lining in situations helps us adopt a positive attitude towards problems, be more open to the possibilities that arise and avoid falling into the role of a victim.

Fostering creativity

Often, in the daily grind, we forget how important creativity is in our lives. The more we nurture our creativity, the easier it will be to find solutions to obstacles and discover new ways of manoeuvring towards our goals.

Practising mindfulness

Being fully present in the here and now allows us to make the most of the moment to find solutions and move forward, without dwelling on the past or feeling anxious about the future. Thinking about the past and the future only delays our ability to recover from adversity.

Surround yourself with positive people and seek help from others

Surrounding ourselves with positive people and seeking their help when we face obstacles is vital to overcoming them. Positive people will help us look at the situation from a different perspective, identifying opportunities that we did not initially see.

Practising these habits will help us to be resilient. And being resilient is not just about overcoming obstacles but also about internalising the lessons they teach and emerging stronger from the situation, so as to avoid facing similar situations in the future or, if they do arise again, knowing the best way to respond.

Today, more than ever, resilience has become a key factor in change management, which drives the success of professionals and organisations, given that change has become a constant. Professionals who are able to bounce back from setbacks, managers who anticipate market changes, and flexible corporate procedures all come together to ensure that the company is able to adapt to situations and evolve.

Interim managers are highly resilient by the very nature of their roles, and they can provide companies with the necessary flexibility, acting as a driving force for evolution and leading the way in change management.

Here are some other articles related to change management:

Change management in business: when change is a necessity

Stress management: a prerequisite for business transformation