I had an exchange today about resilience. Is it a competency? For me, this question raises a core issue when dealing with leadership competencies. As a search consultant / head hunter, I know that few people can truly assess others against competencies lists that have long, long lists ( 60 or more – and some have numbers into the hundreds).
This is a case where I go back to the sixteen critical leadership competencies that I think are the key to exceptional leadership. They are truly comprehensive and cover practically all contingencies.
So, resilience? Yes, of course. But let’s fit it in where it belongs. In my list of the sixteen, one competency is Emotional Intelligence. I feel (as does Daniel Goleman, who has written extensively about EQ) it covers resilience.
I also feel that resilience fits well with the concept of self esteem or self respect. Those who are most resilient are able to reflect and “connect the dots” regarding what is happening around them. They care for themselves, not in an egotistical manner but in a healthy way that guides their life choices and how they find meaning and purpose in what they do.
Consider –
Resilience is an important EQ competency. It means being able to bounce back after setbacks, failures, disappointments and losses. It means not giving up, and continuing to face the future with optimism and courage despite events. Because life will have its ups and downs, one of the most important things we can do is learn how to bolster our resilience. We can do this by understanding the competencies that make people resilient and then working with a coach to improve our skills in these areas.