Resilient leaders move quickly from analysis to a plan of action. After the onset of adversity, they shift from cause-oriented thinking to response- oriented thinking, and their focus is strictly forward. Leaders need to shift from this kind of reflexive thinking to “active” thinking about how best to respond, asking themselves what aspects they can control, what impact they can have, and how the breadth and duration of the crisis might be contained. Three types of questions can help them make this shift.
Specifying questions help managers identify ways to intervene, the more specific the answers, the better. Visualizing questions help shift their attention away from the adverse event and toward a more positive outcome. Collaborating questions push them to reach out to others—not for affirmation or commiseration but for joint problem solving. Each type of question can clarify each of the four lenses of resilient thinking.
Taken together, the four sets make up the resilience regimen.
(Source: How to bounce back from adversity, Joshua D. Margolis, Paul G. Stoltz, HBR)
Building Resilience, Powering Performance
