When you get a whole team focusing on their untapped potential and remove the internal constraints that are holding them back, they become unstoppable and build resilience.
Building resilience in teams reminds me that I have always wanted hero powers – ever since I was a kid. Superman was my favourite superhero, and every holiday I would sit down, pop the video in the machine and watch those movies over and over again. Now I’m an adult I’ve realised that the chances of me developing superpowers are slim to non-existent. Although I cling to the possibility of being bitten by a radioactive spider, I’ll never have the ability to fly (think of the time saved) or x-ray vision (think of the fun!). Still, through my work with people I’ve seen that there are HERO powers in everyone and they can be developed. So what are they and how can I improve them?
Now before you think I’m going bonkers, please bear with me. I’ll explain it. When I talk to organisations, they agree it makes good business sense to look for ways to optimise their capital. Whether that’s in financial terms or the people working for them – their human capital. From there, the obvious question is so how do leaders develop the human capital? Replace human with psychological, and you have the answer to the problem. Leaders develop the psychological capital in their people by focusing on the HERO powers. Let’s go through them one by one:
We begin with Hope
Hope can be defined as a combination of the energy you put into moving towards your goals and your ability to generate multiple pathways to move forward. Put simply, I think of it as the will and the way from the old saying “where there’s a will, there’s a way”. Consider someone who has plenty of energy to put into their goals but cannot generate any ideas to get there. How likely are they to remain hopeful that their goals are achievable? If you have the energy and can create possibilities, then you have Hope.
Then build on that with Efficacy
Efficacy can be summed up as the confidence in your ability to complete tasks and reach goals. Your sense of self-efficacy can play a significant role in how you approach goals, jobs and challenge. How does this differ from Hope? Leaders should think of it like this. You have lots of energy for moving forward in your career and generate lots of ideas to move forward. Then you realise that a critical part of the way ahead is to apply for one particular job. Self-doubt begins to set in and you don’t want to apply for the job because you just don’t believe in your ability to get it. That’s the difference between Hope and efficacy. Sound familiar?
R is for Resilience
Many thinkers and literature focus on resilience as the ability to bounce back from adversity.
Now I agree with this, but I also think that resilient people in good times go from just ok to beyond ok….they thrive. At the Resilience Development Company, we think of resilience as the energy for change and for us, resilience is about accurate thinking at all times. Building resilience in teams focuses on knowing how to problem solve, plan and take action.
Resilient teams are self-aware, knowing how they react with the world around them and how their thoughts and thinking style can work against them if they are not careful.
Which leads to Optimism
Let’s be clear I mean realistic optimism, a real expectancy that you will succeed in what you are doing but with a strong sense of reality. If resilience in teams is about accurate thinking, optimism is the basis of positive thinking. Overall you think you’ll succeed. Sure, there might be problems ahead, but hey, problems are just opportunities with thorns on! That’s optimism.
So leaders can develop HERO powers in their people, but they’ve got to be looking out for them. Unlike Superman, they will not be wearing their underpants on the outside, so you’ve got to pay attention. The next time you are talking to one of your team, and you get a sense they are not engaged, I’d urge you to think HERO…..what is it that’s blocking their potential and how can I help them become the absolute best they can be? How can I build resilience in the team?
We forget we all have the potential to make a difference to someone else and isn’t that what being a true leader is all about? Making a difference?
