Resilience is born under strife. As people stare adversity in the face, they either figure out a way to overcome it or wilt to the threats and pressures it creates. Those lucky enough not to experience any real adversity remain untested. For the rest of us, resilience is a byproduct of prevailing in difficult situations.
Knowing that a particular team member is highly resilient gives leaders insight into how they might handle a roadblock or a disappointment. Team members with the grit and perseverance to overcome obstacles and fight through adversity are worth their weight in gold. Great teams are comprised of many team members who have taught themselves to be resilient.
But when examining the positive qualities of a team, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The more interesting question to ask is how resilient the team is. It is the resilience of the team, not the collective individuals, that will best predict superior performance under trying conditions.
A resilient team can withstand the assault of negative conditions beyond their control. Together, they form an impenetrable barrier to any threat to their long-term viability. Great teams face adversity together. That’s what makes them resilient. They hold hands and confront the challenge as a unit, not allowing the fears of any one team member to color their commitment to overcome the obstacle.
Teams that have a high degree of trust and commitment to each other are resilient teams. Leaders who foster a climate where team members feel more accountable to each other, rather than to the leader, promote more resilience. This starts with leaders who share the many responsibilities of leadership with team members and insist they step up and play the role of leader with each other.
When a team member needs to be comforted, encouraged, challenged or confronted, great teams don’t wait for the leader to interject and address the issue. They are empowered and expected to do it. Over time, the peer-like quality of everyone on the team takes hold and creates the foundation for resilience.
When the marketplace throws a curveball at the team or the conditions for success become challenging, this resilience encourages the team to huddle together and face the adversity together. Any doubts or concerns about the long-term threat become absorbed and dealt with at the team level, not between individual team members.
Resilience reveals itself when teams confront adversity. Whether they do so as a unit or as individuals depends on the qualities forged through leadership. People either succumb to or surmount the obstacles they face. The trusting relationships between peers allow everyone to persevere in the face of challenge. Commitment stands best together.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
