2021 is here – the year has been anticipated as a hopeful turning point in overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the vaccine roll out here in the UK brings hope that the end is in sight, there are still many challenging months to go, with a new UK lockdown in full effect.
Of course, we‘ve been here before, and so experiencing lockdown 3.0 this time around has brought feelings of both determination and frustration.
Across working teams, families and friendship groups, there are always people who deal with uncertain situations better than others – and this is down to differing levels of resilience.
Resilience is a topic that gained traction in 2020 and one which always gets a positive reaction when we write about it, and when I deliver training programmes to teams across the globe.
Resilience will be the best tool you have in your toolbox to stay sane and successful when facing the current new lockdown challenges – and whatever else lays ahead this year.
With the recent upheaval to our children’s education, another lockdown and remote working to get through, I couldn‘t help but notice the similarities between the resilience needed to deal with these fresh challenges and the resilience it takes to lead a team.
Today, we look at some of the resilience secrets we can learn from the many areas of our lives, including teaching children alongside the other hurdles we currently have to navigate, and how they can carry over into our working lives.
Homeschooling Builds Resilience For All!
One of the main sticking points of the new lockdown in the UK and the biggest challenge that many will have to overcome in the coming weeks is homeschooling – which is especially difficult for individuals working from home.
Not only do you have to work remotely and deliver in your current role, but you also have to teach your children too.
One of the key elements of resilience is improvising a new solution for a problem that parents have been faced with recently.
Each time you overcome a homeschooling issue by using whatever you have to hand or get through a lesson that you didn‘t think you would be able to, you are growing your resilience ability.
And homeschooling doesn‘t only build your resilience; you are developing your children‘s resilience muscle too. Our ability to deal with difficult situations comes down to believing that we can overcome whatever challenges come our way.
Despite the pandemic being hard for everyone, we can conclude that we will all come out stronger because of it, including our children and the generations to come.
Dealing with Uncertainty – at Home and Work
One of the core elements of resilience is the ability to retain momentum and direction without others’ help.
In our working roles, a big part of what drives our passion and ambition to succeed in what we do often has a lot to do with the team around us.
The pandemic has created a unique situation where many of us are now isolated and having to find this momentum and direction while working alone, never an ideal situation.
During times of uncertainty, we all look to others for reassurance and stability. While technology such as Zoom and MS Teams allows us to connect with our colleagues, we must recognise that being isolated at home, during a pandemic, and facing new challenges alone is a real test of our mental health – let alone our resilience.
During times of crisis, stability is key. Whether that‘s quickly putting together a homeschooling plan for your children or an out-of-hours phone call with your team to communicate the work schedule for the next few weeks – staying calm and positive during uncertain times will help you stay in control of the situation.
Anyone who wants to become a better leader must recognise the importance of self-realisation, which in turn will also increase resilience. So let‘s look at how you can achieve this.
Resilience Factors
We train individuals to unleash their leadership potential with the help of our development programmes.
One of our programmes, the Insights Discovery training, focuses on personal development, and it highlights eight resilience factors. They are:
- Connection
- Self-regulation
- Self-efficacy
- Self-care
- Acceptance
- Meaning and purpose
- Improvising solutions
- Self-awareness
Earlier, I touched on the importance of being able to improvise solutions, and this is something which any parents will have found themselves doing recently.
But equally important at this stage in the battle against Covid is acceptance. The ability to accept our current situation, rather than wishing it were different, allows us to conserve energy which is better spent elsewhere.
Acceptance – the ability to see reality and accept it is such a valuable trait, and one which many people struggle with. Learning to practice acceptance and make peace with your current situation leads you to create solutions and focus on positivity with ease.
Try writing down three things every day that you are grateful for. Over time, this will become a habit to recognise the good, rather than focusing on the things you wish you could change.
The Link Between Leadership and Resilience
As a leadership trainer, highlighting the importance of resilience to those looking to become better leaders has always been a big part of my ethos.
But recently, the entire nation – especially those facing remote working and homeschooling challenges – are being put through their paces and will come out of the other side more robust and resilient for it.
Lockdown is tough, but remember to focus on the positives that we gain from enduring difficult times.
If you would like to read more about building resilience, plus the other leadership topics that are critical right now in this time of remote working, head to our blog, which you can find here.
Additionally, you can learn more about our Resilience programme and Insights Discovery programme here.
Until next time,
Julia
About Zestfor
Zestfor specialises in developing Training programmes and resources scientifically tailored for technical markets – including Pharmaceutical, IT, and Life Sciences.
Our blend of in-classroom, online, and virtual live-stream delivery methods will engage and assure even the most introverted team members from the first meeting – whether face-to-face or virtually. To have a brief chat, call us on 0845 548 0833. Alternatively, please email our team here.
