Picture this. You finally get an opportunity to meet with the dean of your university one-on-one. You’re filled with anticipation about the great advice she’ll surely offer. Instead, her words sting. You didn’t even hear what was said after she declared, “You’ll never graduate from college and you’ll certainly never find a job in communications.”
Now picture yourself as a student attending a high school that has a 14 percent graduation rate. You’re laughed at for daring to dream you’ll graduate and go to college.
Imagine having a severe stutter and longing to be a professional communicator. Who would hire someone like that?
These are real stories. They were shared by presenters at the C2 conference in Miami. These presenters were able to rise above their obstacles. Why? Because they each have within them one of the most important traits of a leader: resilience.
If you are a truly resilient leader, you understand three things:
- You make your own reality and you understand that your reality can change on a moment’s notice. Still, you remain positive, even optimistic, against all odds. Because you’re optimistic, people who follow you will be too.
- When faced with adversity, you look for the meaning in it. You see the opportunity to gain a new perspective and learn from it.
- You are adaptable and when faced with obstacles, you call on your resilience and instincts to overcome them. Sometimes that means going around them, but you aren’t afraid to bulldoze right through them if the situation calls for it.
Resilient leaders have a “fail fast and move on” outlook that keeps them from wallowing in their failures.
Have you ever failed at something that made you want to just quit trying, or are you like Thomas Edison who famously said, “I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” It’s all in the perspective, isn’t it?
Trisch Smith, executive vice president in Edelman’s Washington, D.C. office, offers an equally optimistic viewpoint: “Don’t be afraid to fail. It’s through failure that we learn as much, or more, as through success.”
Trisch and the three women mentioned above, are living “happily ever after” lives because they are resilient beyond measure. And now, they have been recognized by C2 for their leadership in contributing significantly to the field of professional communications.
Whether you’re a current leader or an aspiring one, what comes to mind for you when you hear the word, “resilient?”
Claudia Patton is Edelman’s chief talent officer. She is responsible for the company’s HR functions, learning and development, succession planning, global mobility and talent acquisition.