Ascendis Blog

How Leaders Build Resilience While Focusing on Results into the Unknown

It has been a challenging year for all of us, as much of what we have experienced could not have been predicted. However, it can be more effective not to expect certainty. 

As we have evolved, we have also created habits that lend to predictability in our lives. This helps reduce the number of difficult decisions we must make each day. In business, we can never really know what the future will bring. And in improbable situations like the pandemic, which has disrupted our routines and changed our plans, we now learn how to focus on resilience as we learn to live with ambiguity. 

Here are some tips to build better resilience as a leader while working toward achieving positive outcomes:

1. Narrow Your Focus. COVID-19 has forced the world to slow down and spend more time at home, with fewer or different distractions. Now is the perfect opportunity to use some of this time to reflect on your priorities and adjust your long- and short-term goals. Also, make targeted decisions regarding what is most important to work towards, Setting and tackling smaller goals along the way will help you stay motivated to reach the bigger, long-term goals. Otherwise, lack of motivation could make your goals seem unattainable and increase the chances of veering off course.
    
2. Take Time to Detail Your Goals. A good way to remain motivated is to write down your goals with as much detail as possible. Avoid writing general, blanket statements, which provide little direction. The more specifics you include, the more likely you are to implement and review them later. Often, writing down your thoughts will help determine whether they are practical and achievable, which is important given the drastic changes that have swept through the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.
    
3. Stick to Specific and Attainable Tasks. Don't forget to ensure that your goals are attainable. Annual goals cannot be reached without working towards them every day, week, month, and quarter, so track your progress by identifying smaller, attainable action items that will result in reaching your overall goal. A good recommendation is to do this step with your team, so that you can assign responsibilities and align approaches at the same time. This can promote efficiency and success between a variety of individuals, which is especially important when working in a virtual environment. 
    
4. Invest in Yourself. The best resource that you have right now for making a contribution to the world is YOU. When that resource is depleted, your most valuable asset is damaged. In other words: When we underinvest in our bodies, minds, or spirits, we destroy our most essential tools for leading our best lives.
   

What are other ways leaders can maintain resilience while maintaining a focus on results? To find out, contact the Ascendis Leadership Academy to take the Organizational Leadership Skills Profile. Please contact Sue Drake at sdrake@drakerg.com for an overview of the Profile and ways in which it may be used in your organization.