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Resiliency in Leadership and Management
In this discussion, we learned about leaders and the resiliency that is needed to
successfully manage teams, especially during crises. Hilton (2020) believes “resilience is central
to the whole notion of sustainable leadership” (p. 24). Singh et al., (2023) suggest “a resilient
leader puts the vision of the company first” (p. 235). Leaders, when faced with troubles times,
are sought out by their followers to present certain characteristics to overcome the obstacles.
According to Elliot (2020) leaders that present a high level of resilience can improve the
resiliency of the employees in which they serve. When looking at resilient leaders, Hilton (2020)
identified these leaders as having certain traits such as personal purpose, optimism, and trust,
whereas Dees (2013) outlined selflessness, character, and competence as significant traits of
resilient leadership. In this discussion I will explore these traits.
Three Concepts
Selfless Service
In Friales (2021) study on the leadership and frontline workers during the COVID-19
Global Pandemic, he identified resilience as a trait in leadership that manifested. Selfless service
is most often identified as Servant Leadership. In the book, “Resilient Leaders” Dees identified
as a big part of an effective leader. In previous roles, I have experienced selfless service leaders
that have influenced my own leadership style. One of the attributes of a servant leader is the
ability to serve others without regard for self. As an HR manager, at times my role requires me to
put my employees’ needs before mine, in doing so, I continue to grow in my role.
Character
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In the reading for this week, Dees (2013) explained there are talented people,
however, character is what builds them. In companies, leaders are hired and promoted based on
the talents which they present. We can look at leaders from our past, whether they were in
government or private businesses, if they were not successful it could be tied back to a lack of
character. As leaders our employees must be able to view us as having integrity and believe we
hold their best interest at heart and that we will do right for them in every decision we make.
Competence
According to Hilton (2020) competency is the ability, performance, and history that a
leader presents. Many leaders who are believed to have the talent to perform in a role does not
perform well or have the support of their team members because they lack the competency to do
the work. Dees (2013) suggests “the reality is that while competencies are important, character is
the trump card” (p. 60). As resilient leaders, being competent is one of the quickest ways to
establish trust with your team. Successful and effective leadership where competence is observed
will also motivate employees to perform. In Human Resources, we are the go-to for all things
within the company, so it is important that as leaders we possess the traits of a resilient leader.
The goal of every HR leader is to be competent, have character, and perform their role with
selfless service.
Biblical Integration
"For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from
another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not
come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (English Standard Version, n.d., Esther 4:14). In
our lives as Christian Leaders, we can pull from Esther and her resiliency she displayed when all
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the Jews, even her cousin/father, Mordecai felt that God’s hand was not with them. The people
looked to Esther and her relationship with the King for help. The leadership that Esther displayed
was full of resilient attributes. Her commitment to her people’s wellbeing and the desire to assist
them at all costs showed God’s resiliency within her, Esther displayed an act of selfless service.
Even though God is not mentioned in this text, his presence is seen through his vessel Esther.
Esthers’ faith, dedication, and character allowed her to gain favor from the King. As leaders, we
do not always know why God have us in our current roles, however, we must always lead our
staff with the resiliency of Esther, especially in times of turbulence. Our commitment to the
growth of our people, our determination to be successful, and our character to keep the Faith in
God and His purpose for our lives should be seen through our actions and conversations.
References
Dees, R. F. (2013) Resilient Leaders. San Diego: Creative Team Publishing.
Bible Gateway Passage. English Standard Version. Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.biblegateway.com
Eliot, J. L. (2020). Resilient leadership: The impact of a servant leader on the resilience of their
followers. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 22(4), 404-418.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422320945237
Friales, W. (2021). Becoming resilient and selfless: A grounded theory of service despite the
threats during pandemic. Jpair, 43(1), 166-184. https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v43i1.737
Hilton, J. (2020). Resilient leadership. Management in Education, 34(1), 24-25.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020619879668
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Singh, R., Sihag, P., & Dhoopar, A. (2023). Role of resilient leadership and psychological capital
in employee engagement with special reference to COVID-19. International Journal of
Organizational Analysis, 31(1), 232-252. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-09-2021-2975
Replies:
Mackenzie,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the concepts that resonated with you during this weeks’
text reading. I agree that leaders who can lead their teams through the ups and downs within a
company are the most successful leaders. A crisis within a company can have different outcomes
based on how the leader handles the crisis. I concur, crisis situations are needed, however,
companies must examine how leadership responds to each crisis event to establish the
appropriate training protocols that are designed from the learning that took place during the
crisis. According to Eid et al., (2023) crisis events are crucial points which positive takes place
and new learning opportunities are created when the crisis is well managed. I agree with your
analogy of how resilience is birth out of the pain from the crisis. The best example of this is how
many companies and leadership teams developed and became successful during the global
pandemic of COVID-19. This crisis pushed companies to look at their training programs in depth
to ensure they were equipped to withstand and continue to operate during a time of uncertainty.
Before the global pandemic, many leadership teams were very traditional in the way they lead
their teams, however, during the crisis we saw a lot of companies who developed the resiliency
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needed to withstand the negative outcomes. The leaders in these companies likely possessed the
character, competency, and selflessness in leadership which Major General Dees outlined the
first two chapters of his book, “Resilient Leaders”.
Eid, J., Hansen, A. L., Andreassen, N., Espevik, R., Brattebø, G., & Johnsen, B. H. (2023).
Developing local crisis leadership - A research and training agenda. Frontiers in
Psychology, 14, 1041387-1041387. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1041387
Reply 2
Ledan,
Thank you for providing your thoughts on the concepts from the reading of “Resilient Leaders”
by Major General Dees. I enjoyed learning your point of view on servant leadership, overcoming
hardships, and effective project management. I agree with your thoughts on each of the concepts.
However, I believe that servant leadership or selfless service is probably the most talked about
and researched of the three. Although, they are all important in the success of a business. Servant
leadership is one of the best ways to create trust among team members and leadership. When
trust is not seen or shared in a company, issues such as employee satisfaction, low performance,
and low employee retention. According to Kuykendall and Slater, (2020) the lack of trust will
have a negative influence on the relationship between employees and their followers as well as
the work climate. Companies striving to develop leaders who are servant leaders must
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understand the ability to obtain trust and its impact on workplace culture. In their study on
servant-leadership and trust, Kuykendall and Slater (2020) explain the ability to empower
stakeholders, honor commitments, and develop effective coaching skills will continue to build
trust and establish a positive workplace culture. Servant leadership is a style of leadership where
leaders inspire to serve and put the needs of their followers first. The greatest servant leader,
Jesus, teaches us to be servant first as Christians. In Mark 10:42-45 Jesus explains that we must
be a servant first, as he did not come to serve, but to be a servant and to give his life as a ransom.
As Christian leaders working in a secular society, we are still responsible for leading our teams
under Kingdom principles, such as being a servant first.
Reference
Bible Gateway Passage. English Standard Version. Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.biblegateway.com
Kuykendall, B., & Slater, C. L. (2020). Servant-leadership and trust between teachers and
principals. The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 14(1), 249-273.
https://doi.org/10.33972/ijsl.31
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