Resilient teams don’t just bounce back—they bounce forward with these strategies proven to empower and energize your team through change, challenges, and uncertainty.
Many people believe “resilient” is a synonym for strong, tough, and unbreakable. Corporate leaders especially hover around this definition, thinking that achieving the holy grail of resilience with their teams will make them impervious to the effects of change, challenges, and uncertainty
And this, my friends, is part of the problem.
In all of my research and working with hundreds of leaders and teams over the years, I believe it’s time to redefine the traditional definition of resilience. Because resilience isn’t the act of bouncing back. It’s bouncing forward and feeling yourself gain ground with every setback. Resilience is a muscle. It’s the constant and intentional practice of creating the grace, grit, and growth necessary to increase adaptability, creativity, collaboration, connection and more.
It’s NOT about powering through at any cost. Resilience is about powering up and down as necessary so you can be the best version of yourself—no matter what happens.
Building resilient teams starts with building resilient individuals.
There are probably several times in your life when you had to define resilience, and they all looked different. I have dozens of times where I strengthened my own resilience muscles, both in business and in life.
For 7-year-old Kim, it was when I kept falling off my bike but kept putting my butt back in the seat and my feet on the pedals so I could experience the freedom and fun my cousins down the road had.
For 18-year-old Kim, it was choosing to believe in myself, go away to college, and ignore my high-school guidance counselor who labeled me and told me I wasn’t “college material” because no one in my family had been to college. And then sending my high school guidance counselor an invitation to my law school graduation.
For 30-year-old Kim, it was about managing chemo treatments while working full-time as a public servant in local government and chasing around my two-year-old son Brandon.
For 32-year-old Kim, it was focusing on my why and my purpose when receiving 55 rejection letters for my first book, which went on to become a bestseller.
For 33-year-old Kim, it was having the grit to start my own public affairs company after being told by the good old boys that they would cut me off at my knees! (Their exact words!) I did it anyway and grew a successful 7 figure business.
For 39-year-old Kim, it was about reinventing myself and being a single mom, after a heartbreaking betrayal by my now ex-husband and friend, a divorce and then having the courage eventually to put myself out there and actually date! (I had married my high school sweetheart and never dated anyone else!).
For 41-year-old Kim, it was about having the courage to remarry a widower with 2 small kids and focus on blending while mending our families, which came with a lot of love and a lot of tears.
For today-year-old Kim (53 if you’re wondering 🙂 ), it’s about lifting those around me, so they can manage the ups and downs of life with fewer (if metaphorical) bruises and skinned knees.
Resilience can look different for everyone, but the quality is the same. It’s knowing when to push the pedal to the metal and when to occasionally hit the brakes.
What does resilience mean to you? How would your team describe it?
Create a Culture of Unstoppable Momentum
Here are five critical things to keep in mind to truly foster a resilient, bounce-forward culture that can withstand—and even benefit from—change, challenges, and uncertainty.
- Lead by example. Be vulnerable and transparent. Share how you are feeling. In doing so, you give your team members permission to do so as well. Change is hard—and it may be a different hard for everyone. Show up with empathy and compassion. Everyone adapts at different paces and reacts in different ways. Remind them that while things may be tough, they are too, and that they don’t have to manage it alone. Use this Momentum-boosting change management tool to truly understand where you are and where your team is.
- Celebrate the wins. Acknowledging what is going right will give your team perspective and allow them to see the gains (and not just the gaps). Little wins and progress count—even setbacks and losses bring new knowledge and awareness (which are also worth celebrating!) Announce the wins (and wins learned from losses) at team meetings, create a #celebrations channel in Slack or Teams for everyone to post in, and send them in emails. Reinforce what can happen when you bounce forward!
- Express gratitude. Did you know that an employee who feels recognized is 56% less likely to seek out other job opportunities? Thank your colleagues for their hard work, even if it’s something that’s part of their day-to-day. Your awareness of their contributions will be a cushion they can fall back on when they occasionally fall short. Create a culture of gratitude and appreciation and find ways to stay grounded in gratitude daily, especially during change.
- Keep your ears open. Don’t assume you know how your team is feeling or adjusting to change—or that they are going through what you are. Meet them where they are. Get curious, Dig deeper. Ask more questions. Listen Actively. Use helpful phrases like, “Tell me more,” “How can I help?” “Help me understand”I guarantee that they’re all conversation starters!
- Mandate some serious (and not so serious) downtime. Whether you jump on the four-day workweek bandwagon, adhere to a “no email replies after 5pm” guardrail, schedule team meetings for 45 or 50 minutes instead of 60 minutes and encourage team members to use that 10 or 15 minutes to recharge, get on the Summer Fridays trend, or occasionally offer a favorite pick-me-up, it’s important for your team to know they aren’t expected to give 110%, 110% of the time. A client shared that he will occasionally cancel a meeting at the last minute ON PURPOSE – and asks his team to use the now-available time to recharge, to take a break, etc.
Resilient cultures and teams are built from intentional habits, boundaries, and expectations. If you want your team to flex, stretch, and grow with you, you have to give them something to lean on, push against, and grow towards.
Forget Unbreakable—Go For Unstoppable
Resilient teams are not born; they are built through consistent, intentional efforts. As you implement these strategies, remember that resilience is a journey. It’s the continuous practice of bouncing forward, ensuring your team is ready to face whatever comes next with grace, grit, and growth.
By leading with vulnerability, celebrating wins, expressing gratitude, listening actively, and ensuring downtime, you create a culture where resilience is a shared practice and a collective strength—and a source of Unstoppable Momentum.
What steps will you take today to create a culture of Unstoppable Momentum within your team? Join the conversation on LinkedIn!
