Down but not out – our “Resilient” Prime Minister?
Anyone wanting to highlight the strength and resilience of someone who continually fights back from adversity could do worse than consider the direct words of Nineties one-hit-wonder group Chumbawamba.
“I get knocked down, but I get up again, you are never gonna keep me down.”
There’s no doubt we all know someone we can relate to in our personal lives who’s a born fighter.
Someone whom many may attribute as being “Resilient” is Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
On numerous occasions you might have thought he was down and out – the Partygate scandal, refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, and controversies surrounding some of his closest advisers including Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings.
But even after one of the worst by-election performances in history, prompting the resignation of his Party Chairman, and more and more names adding to the daily list of those calling for his head, ‘Bo-Jo’ as he affectionately likes to be called refuses to give in.
In fact, it’s not just a case of refusing to give in – in many ways it’s a case of boldly fighting harder and harder, with an astonishing prediction in the last couple of days that he’ll lead Britain into the 2030s.
Asked if he’ll lead his party into the next election, the beleaguered PM replied: “Will I win? Yes. At the moment I’m thinking actively about my third term and what could be achieved then.”
So, what drives Boris Johnson to fight adversity and keep going?
The answer is more slanted towards “toughness”, rather than my view of Resilience – and, yes, they are intertwined.
We do have to acknowledge his underpinning ethics, morals, and Value-system. There is a large amount of evidence and commentary that Mr Johnson is often driven by personal self-interest…
The Oxford English Dictionary defines resilience as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.”
From my years of experience, I have added to this definition, that resilience is about “pausing, re-energising, reflecting and Springing Forward with decisions about what you will do differently, as well as what you will keep doing”. This is what I discuss with my Coaching clients. Through these reflections, clients then build their resilience, utilsing The Resilience Wheel.
How well does Mr Johnson reflect and change his behaviours?
What enables you to reflect and change your behaviours? photo Katt Yulawa Unsplash
Resilient people also experience distress and anxiety, however, they simply use coping skills to handle such difficulties in ways that foster strength and growth – often emerging with higher levels of resilience than they did before.
People with resilience can use their skills and strengths to cope and recover from life’s challenges.
So how do people demonstrate resilience?
Quite simply, resilient people often display characteristics which help them face up to life’s challenges. These can include:
Optimism: resilient people are optimistic, which is different to being positive. They know that even at the most difficult of times, they are hopeful that they can make it through.
·Effective emotional regulation: resilience is marked by a constant ability to manage emotions even in the face of stress or difficulty. This doesn’t mean that resilient people don’t experience strong emotions – instead, they see them as temporary and realise they can be managed until they pass.
Feeling in command – resilient people tend to have a strong internal focus of control and feel that their actions can play a part in determining the outcome of events. This is shown above by the Prime Minister’s declaration that he’ll secure a third term in office.
Whilst overall, resilience represents the ability to handle life's setbacks, there are different forms of resilience.
Physical resilience: how the body deals with change and recovers from physical demands, illnesses, and injuries. This can be improved by making healthy lifestyle choices.
Mental Resilience: the ability to adapt to change and uncertainty. People who possess this type of resilience remain hopeful even when they are facing setbacks – such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson after the recent by-election defeat, or in the face of calls for his resignation.
Emotional resilience: this helps people maintain a sense of optimism even when times are tough. They understand adversity and difficult emotions are temporary and won’t last forever.
If you’d like to explore the subject of resilience more deeply, please contact me via
Email: russell@theresiliencecoach.co.uk.