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How Leaders Embrace Resilience During Tough Times

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The global business environment is highly dynamic and challenging. The competition is cut-throat. You must run a little faster than others to keep your lead. It is tough to predict the very next moment as there is uncertainty everywhere and there is no assurance that the decisions that you make will definitely deliver fruitful outcomes. The leaders and CEOs find it challenging to beat the competition. They find it more challenging to predict the developments in technology. Some companies have been defunct while some have become bankrupt. There is an urgent need to build resilient organizations globally to beat the competition. It calls for building resilient teams and leaders who can build resilient organizations that can beat the competition and ensure sustainability. 

Resilient leaders

The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is resilience. Successful people know how to bounce back from adversities, disappointments and failures while unsuccessful people brood over constantly about their failures and hesitate to explore and experiment further.   

Resilient leaders make things fall into place, unlike other leaders. They don’t blame their circumstances. Instead, they take responsibility and invest their efforts to influence situations and outcomes. They don’t brood over their past mistakes. Instead, they explore ideas to overcome their challenges. They are part of the solutions, not problems. 

When the sailing is smooth any Tom, Dick, and Harry can become a hero or star or leader.  However, when the sailing becomes rough, it calls for resilient leaders who can take on the challenges and changes squarely. The real leaders emerge when the ship is sailing through the storm to take it to the shore smoothly. Tough times call for resilient leaders who have the guts and vision to handle the crisis.  Storms bring out the real stars, heroes, and leaders. Problems are blessings in disguise for those leaders who have a huge potential.

Alan Mulally, Lou Gerstner, and Carleton (Carly) S. Fiorina are resilient leaders who turned around their organizations successfully. Alan Mulally led Ford from the brink of bankruptcy to profitability, respectability, and stability. It is an amazing turnaround story in the corporate world which is a blend of both financial belt-tightening and a cultural change in the auto industry. It serves as an ideal case study for management graduates globally. Lou Gerstner is a resilient leader who successfully turned around IBM through focused effort and disciplined execution. Carly Fiorina shattered the glass ceiling by standing up against male-dominated leaders. She was the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company—Hewlett-Packard (HP). 

“Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” ― Gever Tulley

Embrace change 

When you look at Eastman Kodak which was a leader for many years filed for bankruptcy in 2012, and Blockbuster Video became defunct in 2013. Similarly, Borders which was one of the largest book retailers in the US became defunct in 2011. Why did these companies which had great brands initially fail finally? It is because they failed to adapt to change. 

The leaders must not only embrace change but also lead to change during normal and turbulent times. Being prepared to change mentally helps them avert turbulent times within the organization. Hence, leaders must have organizational agility to achieve organizational adaptability. When we look at leaders who led change successfully through organizational adaptability, Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric comes to our mind. Jack Welch was a trendsetter. He led by example. He was straightforward and a master strategist who believed in a brutal execution. 

Leaders must adopt tools and techniques to adapt to change. Here is a blueprint to embrace change effectively. Keep your vision right and straight, and articulate it effectively. Create organizational culture conducive to bringing out change. Communicate clearly about the need to change. Enlighten people about the implications of the status quo.  Show them benefits once the change is implemented.  Coordinate all stakeholders effectively. Remove the roadblocks by allaying their apprehensions. Show them small gains to ensure that the entire change takes place smoothly without any resistance.

Manage uncertainty

There is all-around uncertainty everywhere in the world. Whether it is for leaders or followers, employers or employees, everybody is subjected to uncertainty. People must learn to cultivate an attitude to understand and adjust to uncertainty. They must cultivate such a mindset and explore accordingly to survive in the world.   

Whenever we confront uncertainty, we must identify the bottlenecks that create challenges for us.  We must look at the impact of damage on the strategies and tasks that we do. We need to view the root of the issues and work feasible solutions to keep ourselves aligned with our goals. We must take remedial action and monitor closely and keenly whether we succeeded in containing the root of the uncertainty.

Convert threats into opportunities

Resilient leaders are very much aware of external disturbances and prepare mentally to come out with flying colors.  If Colonel Sanders gave up, we would not have had KFC, if Thomas Edison gave up, we would not have had an electric bulb, if Albert Einstein gave up, we would not have known the theory of relativity.  Hence, all these legends persisted in their efforts throughout their convictions by managing external disturbances.  They converted their threats into opportunities and, finally, made everything possible. Resilient leaders don’t blame others.  They take responsibility for their actions and raise the hopes of others.  

The theoretical knowledge equips you with some ideas and insights on resilience while the practical knowledge equips you with time-tested tools and techniques to acquire resilience. Hence, both theoretical and practical knowledge is essential to building your resilience. When you put into a percentage, it is more of a practical experience that leads to building resilience. To conclude, to survive and succeed in the 21st century whether you are an individual or an institution, you must be resilient to build resilient organizations to ensure organizational excellence and effectiveness. 

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph. D., is a 21st-century Philosopher and the Father of “Soft Leadership.” He is an International Leadership Guru and the Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India. He has forty-four years of diversified experience, including military, and is the author of fifty-four books, including the award-winning See the Light in You.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
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What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

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The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

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