The Impact of Resilient Leaders

One of the most important qualities of a leader is being resilient. In an agile, adaptive organization, a high level of engagement is critical at all levels of leadership.  Strong leadership impacts culture, engagement and performance.  And in most organizations, leadership is not just at the executive level, but really anyone in a leadership role – managers, team leaders or anyone that has the ability to foster productivity and engagement. Unfortunately, according to a study by Deloitte, 68 percent of business leaders are overwhelmed by the rapid pace of change and are unengaged.¹

The good news is, resilience can be taught. It’s not a trait you’re born with, but rather a quality that is developed through education, experience and commitment.

At WebMD Health Services, we understand the value of investing in resilience. It’s why we partner with meQuilibrium for individual stress and resilience training and why we are even more excited to now offer meQ Empower —a scalable training tool used to foster resilient leaders and agile teams that can handle tough problems, possess the skills and adaptive capacity to face change, and drive better business outcomes.

Still not convinced you should consider offering a resilience program that targets leaders at your organization? Then read the top three ways resilient leaders can help drive success at your organization:

1. Setting the right example.

Leaders can have a strong influence within your organization. Their words, actions and behaviors can influence the rest of your employees—in either a positive or negative way.

For example, if your management takes time to relax and reduce stress, they can motivate their supporting staff to take care of their personal well-being as well. But if your leaders regularly work until they burn out, their team members will feel pressured to also compromise their work-life balance and allow stress to affect their health.

2. Ability to champion change.

In business, the only constant is change. There will always be new technology, insights and competitors emerging. But by investing in resilience, you can create strong leaders who are quick to adapt, make decisions and avoid becoming overly stressed during the seemingly endless disruption.

During these industry shake-ups, there is also an opportunity for your organization to emerge as a leader. And with resilient people at the helm, your company will have a better chance to innovate, adapt and stay one step ahead.²

3. A more productive organization.

A resilient leader can help create a faster, more flexible and increasingly productive organization.

They can help build trust and accountability among employees by establishing an open culture, encourage ongoing growth and innovation by knowing when to take calculated risks and motivate their team members to put their health first by leading as an example.  Combined, these factors help to create a healthy organization that runs at its absolute best. ³

The importance of resilient team members.

Resilient team members are just as important to the health of your organization as strong leaders. After all, resilient employees are more likely to avoid illness, operate with mental toughness and maintain productivity.⁴

Some additional benefits of resilience training for team members include: ⁴

• Improved goal-setting – Resilient employees have clear, achievable goals in mind. They know their role, objective and the steps they need to take to achieve their desired organizational outcomes.
• Better skill-building – With resilience training, team members are able to improve their critical thinking, self-awareness and communication skills. It can help them be more in-tune with the situation they’re facing as well as the needs of their co-workers.
• An open workplace – Employees who are resilient are more likely to tell you what’s on their mind. They’re not afraid to raise alternative viewpoints, give their opinions or share their personal experiences—helping your team make the best possible decisions.

A program that empowers your workforce.

To help build resilient leaders and team members at your organization, consider adding meQ Empower to your well-being program. At WebMD Health Services, we’ve found that it’s helped us build resilient leaders and agile team members who can handle tough problems, adapt in the face of change and produce better business outcomes.

To help drive these results, meQ Empower is structured around verified, clinical skills. Why it works:

• Engagement – Interactive courses help your employees develop powerful soft skills such as emotional control, empathy, positivity and connection to work.
• Personalization – Expand upon your employee’s current ability to be resilient by helping them identify signature emotions and calm emotional reactions.
• Expertise – Take advantage of proven, cognitive behavioral theory-based resilience training methods applied to leadership.
• Flexibility – Self-paced training emphasizes the core habits, beliefs, thinking styles and behaviors that influence management styles and team dynamics.

Resiliency—a worthy investment.

Resilience training is something few organizations invest in today—89 percent of companies today report the need to strengthen their leadership.⁵ But with corporate life constantly evolving and presenting new obstacles, it’s more important than ever to teach your employees to become strong, adaptable and resilient to organizational stress.

Related Content:

• Blog:  Webinar Recap: Why Resilience Matters
• On-Demand Webinar: Why Resilience Matters