Earlier this year, I found myself on a call with a former president of the World Association of Newspapers & News Publishers, a position they achieved after leading one of the fastest growing media companies in the world. Curious about potential topics for my MBA dissertation (completed in August 2024), I took the opportunity to ask what they felt is the most crucial subject for leaders today. Expecting an answer like climate change, ethical practice, or AI, I was surprised by their response! “Great question”, they said. “The most crucial subject is how leaders, in today’s global economic uncertainty, foster resilience!”.

Intrigued, I continued asking leaders worldwide the same question and found this concern to be universal. As an owner and non-executive director of an international education business, I shouldn’t have been surprised, given that the economic and political climate in the regions where we operate often brings shockers to our industry!

I chose to explore the impact of coaching on leadership resilience in my dissertation, particularly in the context of work and global uncertainty. The research revealed numerous insights or ‘resilience nuggets’ that can benefit both leaders and coaches. So, this article is part 1 of a series based on the outcomes of my research conducted with coaches and their coachees (business leaders) spanning industries, cultures and countries.

Resilience Unveiled: No Quick Fix!

A quick Google search for ‘how to be more resilient’, suggests one can become resilient by just following a few easy steps – Not True! One of the first things to note about resilience is that it is not instantaneous and requires time to attain, something that came through strongly from my research. Here is what this means for leaders and coaches:

For Leaders:

As leaders we will do well to remember that resilience is something we build as a process over time. We achieve it by placing our focus on broader developments and sustained efforts rather than immediate results. Here’s what I mean:

• By adopting a long-term perspective, you can anticipate challenges and set vision that guides an organisation, and yourself, through changing circumstances and uncertainty. This builds resilience, empowering you even when immediate results are not apparent or when a crisis hits.
• Leaders should embrace a mindset of continuous learning. Analyse past experiences, including failures and setbacks, to improve processes. This ongoing cycle of learning and adaptation enables leaders to become and stay resilient.
• Engaging in leadership coaching over a significant period allows leaders to develop a toolbox of strategies that break down problems and finds solutions. Tools such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking are essential. The research showed that regular coaching sessions provide a space for reflection, growth, and gradual resilience development, ultimately leading to a resilient mindset for various situations, industries and contexts.

For Coaches:

Several of us at Quiver Management are currently coaching a senior leadership team of a large organisation. I was disheartened to learn that some team members had previously received coaching (with another organisation) but felt it amounted to nothing! When they shared about the quality of the coach-coachee relationship, the commitment of the coach, and the lack of agreed commitment to working towards change, I began to understand what went wrong. As coaches it is important we:

• Help our coachees set realistic expectations about how quickly they will build lasting resilience. Recognise both the importance and gradual nature of building resilience. This isn’t something that comes by following steps we find on a Google search; it is something that unfolds as a coachees mindset develops. This requires time, usually a lot of it!
• Be invested to support your coachee for the whole resilience-building journey. When I was interviewing coaches, I often heard sentiments like “as coaches we must help coachees not just set goals but walk with them through the process”. This underscores that as coaches we must be dedicated to building great coach-coachee relationships and fostering persistence. We are talking about the benefits of longer-term coaching here!

In conclusion, resilience is not a trait that can be developed overnight; it is a process that requires time, dedication, and continuous learning. While there is no quick fix, when we develop a resilient mindset as leaders, and coach to build resilience in others, we are meeting today’s leadership imperative and building resilience that lasts. I will share more ‘resilience nuggets’ from my research in our next newsletter, offering further insights into how both leaders and coaches can build and sustain resilience.