The Leader's 3-2-1: Three Insights, Two Questions, One Statistic.
Topic: Resilience to Stress Series (Part 3) - Staying Growth-Oriented
View Previous Installments: Preview; Pt. 1: Staying Grounded; Pt. 2: Staying Gritty
Resilience to stress is a collection of mindsets and habits that keep you grounded, gritty and growing-- finishing with staying growth-oriented.
An insightful person once said to me: “The smaller your world, the easier it is to shake.” Staying growth-focused is all about expanding your perspective so your world is bigger-- and more difficult to destabilize.
To make your world bigger, stay connected to a learning mindset with an infinite scope. Remain attuned to what you are learning, what systems are uplifting you and what relationships are supporting the expansion of your best self.
Charge your resilience battery with a growth focus in 3-2-1:
Three Insights
Learning Mindset
Taking a learning approach to leadership sparks motivation and confidence, and has the power to combat fatigue. Make a shift upward in your resilience energy by noticing where you are growing and what stressful experiences are teaching you. Focusing on growth untethers stress from your identity, freeing up the oomph you need to bounce back from setbacks, failures, and obstacles.
Self-coaching to activate a learning mindset:
What is this challenging experience here to teach you?
What do you have to gain from this setback, failure or obstacle?
Infinite Scope
Leadership is an infinite game, not a finite one. In infinite games, there are no clear winners/losers, established rules or tangible end points. Infinite games continually evolve and perpetually exist. Have the mindset that everything is an experiment-- there will always be another chance to try again. This broadening of scope shifts your overall perspective, peace and pace of your approach-- helping you keep your energy levels in the green.
Self-coaching to activate an infinite scope: Pride, progress, process.
Pride: What are you most proud of in your leadership in the last 6 months?
Progress: What progress have you made towards a challenging goal?
Process: What habits are supporting you? What habits need updating?
Growth-Fostering Relationships
Brené Brown says it best: "Research shows that people who have strong connections with others are happier, healthier, and better able to cope with the stresses of every day life." And, relationships fuel resilience not only because of their ability to spark connective energy, but also because of their influence on growth and evolution. We are not only energized by others, we also take on the energy of others. We become who we surround ourselves with.
Self-coaching to build a growth-fostering, resilience-boosting support network:
Do the people you spend the most time, energy and money on support the best version of you?
Diversify your support network: Who challenges you? Who comforts you? Who critiques you? Who champions you? Who cheerleads you?
TWo questions
What do you make failure mean?
Shift your mindset around the meaning you make of failures. What do you have to gain from not succeeding at first try? What lessons will failure teach you?
What relationships drain your resilience battery?
Watch out for the “energy vampires.” How can you increase distance, decrease intimacy or set limits with the people that drain you?
One Statistic
71%, 64%, 62%
Your life may have many compartments, but you only have one battery charging it all. Stress permeates into everything you do: “…stress from work carries into personal lives, too, as employees say work negatively impacts their home life (71%), wellbeing (64%), and relationships (62%).” -Workforce Institute at UKG
Love these insights? Get them delivered directly to your inbox: Subscribe
