Resilient leaders – your MVPs (Most Valuable Players)

The Institute for Quality Leadership

October 16, 2018

Resilient leaders - your MVPs (Most Valuable Players)

Shielding your company from within – when resilience meets leadership

Companies are investing millions of dollars in shielding themselves from outer threats – mainly focusing on technological shields. But how much do they truly invest in fortifying their leaders, teams and the organization as a whole?

The good news is that resilience can and should be developed. Research shows that organizations which invest in building resilience are those that are able to adapt, reinvent themselves, lead the market and flourish in times of turmoil. For these reasons, we formulated a resilience model - the SHIELD.

The SHIELD model is based on our ample experience with developing leadership and helping leaders face their ongoing challenges. It combines cognitive, emotional, psychological and behavioral aspects and can be applied to each level- personnel, teams, groups, and organizations. Enhancing resilience in each of these levels requires a different approach and set of skills.

The SHIELD model offers a unique, practical and applicable method for enhancing resilience. It offers a comprehensive approach, encompassing inspiration, mindset, and easy-to-apply tools for leaders aiming to strengthen their own resilience and to develop resilience in others (individuals, teams, and units).

The SHIELD resilience model

S stands for Social Capital –

Everybody needs people in their life that they can count on, share their feelings with, and seek advice from when facing tough times. Social capital is about having fruitful relationships and networks that help you cope emotionally, strategically and professionally. The more social capital you gain, weaving different kinds of networks, the more resilient you become.

H stands for Hope- "There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope" (Bernard Williams). In times of disruption, having hope is about being able to generate a sense of a bigger purpose and a reason to endure, through envisioning a better future and foreseeing opportunities.

I stands for Inner dialog - It is about 'winning the inner game' by developing an introspection ability and self-monitoring skills. Inner Dialog enables leaders to better handle internal conversations and manage their thoughts and emotions.

E stands for Efficacy – A coping self-efficacy is about having a deep sense of ability to overcome difficulties and challenges, through exploring and relying on strengths.

L stands for Learning agility- Developing abilities to learn, re-learn and un-learn that increase adaptability and flexibility. Learning agility includes different skill-sets such as: listening at different depth levels, synchronizing, navigating uncertainty, failing fast and using emotional intelligence.

D  stands for Determination- It is about the tenacity to continue doing something persistently despite setbacks.

Determination means enhancing proactivity and celebrating milestones, focusing on 'just the next step', visualizing the achievement and growing from failures.

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In the old days – to shield yourself forced you to be heavy and slow.

Nowadays, shielding will help you move faster and further.