The “board games of leadership” – and what to look for in resilience

Here is one of the key “Leadership Table Bets” – and what to look for in Resilience

Another quality that successful leaders share is the ability to face and overcome adversity. Some see the layoffs during the prolonged recession as a Darwinian purge of the corporate herds. But the survivors were not always the strongest and smartest. Instead, those who held the senior leadership positions knew how to lead and help the team leverage their combined skills to achieve corporate goals. No matter how big the company can grow, or how small it can shrink, it all comes down to people working together to achieve a mutually agreed upon goal.

During uncertain times, it’s tempting to focus on yourself. Interestingly, successful leaders are actually outward-focused and excel in this skill. They focus on the big picture, the bottom line. Successful leaders share this ability to “Sort in Order” and then focus the organization’s resources on those things that provide the highest return and return, while maximizing their ROI in time, effort, and energy.

Fortune cookie wisdom says, “No gem is polished without a little friction.” Twists and turns, and unexpected confusion! You do the best you can; other things against you, do theirs. Before fully maturing, every successful leader has experienced some personal test of change in business and in life. Resilience is forged in the fire of adversity.

Business is conducted on battleships, not a cruise ship. Resilient leaders have a track record of unique experiences that give them a calm “know” attitude. They know what to do. They faced the Dragon and lived to tell the tale. It’s not what you believe that counts, it’s what you believe enough to do that counts the most. Words that match deeds are more respected by the team than a leader who has earned the right to be heard. The team will join this leader and deliver amazing results. Successful leaders who have lived through challenging situations know how to shape their plans to win and leverage their resources to create force multipliers to meet and overcome the business challenges facing their organization. In this sense, successful leaders are comfortable with uncertainty. They don’t say “Go ahead, MARCH!” without marking the way.

Here’s a thought to consider about “resiliency” when hiring for a key leadership position:

What to look for: Resilience is not gender specific. Resilient leaders raise the bar for leadership for everyone. They thrive on big challenges and are comfortable trying big things! All successful leaders take risks, and all successful leaders fail at least once. Failure doesn’t mean you’re not a leader; the evasion of responsibility yes.

What needs to be focused on is a pattern of showing resilience in every challenge and trial. Successful leaders don’t let the little things get them bogged down, even when crossing huge muddy fields. Successful leaders are fully committed. In the race of life and in business, all successful leaders enjoy the wind in their hair (if there is any left) and the roar of the business engine – it’s in their DNA.

Look for examples of when you instinctively or deliberately showed resilience. Look for a pattern in which you decide what to do, and the ideal path to take, and continue with your plan. Did they wait due to circumstances (and never start) or did they handle circumstances that came along the way? What were the key motivations that helped them and their team achieve the goals? What part of the story do they take credit for? What part of your narrative talks about the contribution of the team? Listen to the responses that give credit to the team: “It was a total team effort: each person and group did their job using their skills, talents, and abilities.” Typically, they will have to be encouraged to dismiss the role they played in dealing with a particular business challenge, and made to seem minor. This is what you want to hear.

There are dropout points (circumstances) at every turning point of growth. Some things are beyond a leader’s ability to control. However, if the “target” is so compelling, then the circumstances won’t or won’t matter. Resilience is not an option, it is a necessity for successful leadership to overcome adversity encountered on the path to achieving business goals and objectives.