Resilient leadership is essential for guiding teams and organizations through challenges and uncertainties. However, some leaders inadvertently hinder resilience by dwelling excessively on problems. The tendency to focus excessively on obstacles, setbacks, and negative aspects can drain morale, hinder progress, and stifle innovation, especially when they make things personal. This short article explores the characteristics of an anti-resilient leader who dwells on problems and presents three ways to combat this behavior.
Characteristics of an Anti-Resilient Leader
Negative Focus: An anti-resilient leader tends to have a negative focus, constantly dwelling on problems, setbacks, and limitations. This negativity spreads throughout the team, creating a pessimistic and demoralizing work environment, and can even lead to bullying types of behaviors.
Lack of Solution Orientation: Instead of seeking solutions and opportunities for growth, an anti-resilient leader fixates on problems, often rehashing past failures and obstacles. This hinders the team’s ability to find innovative solutions and move forward. An elephant memory by leadership stifles creativity and problem-solving.
Discouragement & Micromanagement: An anti-resilient leader may unintentionally discourage team members by excessively criticizing or micromanaging. This erodes confidence, stifles creativity, and prevents individuals from taking risks necessary for resilience.
Ways to Combat Anti-Resilient Leadership
Cultivate a Positive & Solution-Focused Mindset: Leaders must consciously cultivate a positive mindset and focus on solutions rather than problems. Encouraging a culture of optimism and solution orientation helps teams overcome challenges. Research suggests that positive leadership enhances employee well-being, engagement, and resilience (Luthans & Youssef-Morgan, 2017). By emphasizing strengths, possibilities, and learning from failures, leaders create an environment conducive to resilience and growth.
Foster a Culture of Psychological Safety: Psychological safety is crucial for building resilience within teams. Leaders should create an environment where team members feel safe to express their ideas, take risks, and learn from mistakes. Research by Edmondson (2019) shows that psychological safety enhances team learning, creativity, and resilience. Encourage open communication, actively listen to diverse perspectives, and value contributions to foster a psychologically safe workplace.
Empower & Delegate: Resilient leaders empower their team members by delegating responsibilities and providing autonomy. Micromanagement undermines resilience as it stifles innovation and hampers the development of problem-solving skills. By trusting and empowering employees, leaders encourage ownership, initiative, and creative problem-solving. This not only builds resilience but also promotes professional growth and development.
Combatting anti-resilient leadership is crucial for fostering a resilient work environment. By cultivating a positive and solution-focused mindset, fostering psychological safety, and empowering team members, leaders can overcome the tendency to dwell on problems and instead nurture resilience within their teams. A resilient leader inspires and guides others to navigate challenges, embrace opportunities, and thrive in the face of adversity.
References:
Edmondson, A. C. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley.
Luthans, F., & Youssef-Morgan, C. M. (2017). Psychological capital: An evidence-based positive approach. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4, 339-366.