In my previous blog, I discussed the difference between ‘proactive’ and ‘reactive’ resilience.

As a quick recap, being proactive means “creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it’s happened,” whilst being reactive means “acting in response to a situation, rather than creating or controlling it.”

To continue the latest series, I now want to consider the importance of adopting ‘proactive’ resilience.

Quite simply, proactive resilience enables an optimistic and positive approach to work and outlook on life, which in turn enables better problem-solving and helps to maintain motivation.

With a logic-orientated mindset and a focus on problem solving, general day-to-day tasks often feel more approachable to a resilient person.

Those with good resilience are therefore less vulnerable to getting knocked down by obstacles. They see unfavourable situations as an inevitable part of life, rather than an undeserved hindrance. They may even gain a sense of fulfilment from being able to work through them and grow.

Having a resilient workforce makes people more motivated, capable of dealing with change, and less susceptible to burnout. It also improves employees’ overall health, as resilience and wellbeing in the workplace are closely linked. Better mental health means less ‘absenteeism’ and ‘presenteeism,’ and in turn improves people’s performance throughout the workplace.

A recent study conducted by leading recruitment platform CV-Library revealed that 57% of employers see resilience as a key skill for candidates.

Meanwhile, 71% viewed the ability to adapt as a key skill, which is a core aspect of resilience.

These results reveal that businesses place high value on employees who demonstrate resilience.

In a constantly changing business landscape, the sustainability and viability of organisations continues to be tested.

Many organisations realise traditional business strategies don’t protect them from sudden challenges – instead they must be able to manage challenges requiring change, adjustment, and persistence to dominate their competitive approach and profitability.

Proactive resilience is important as it allows organisations to:

• Upgrade capacity to anticipate and respond to opportunities and threats.

• Acquire the ability to recognise and address vulnerabilities.

• Coordinate techniques to integrate current management disciplines that back up organisational resilience.

• Understand what supports strategic objectives.

• Promote a culture of joint aims and values.

Resilient leaders can sustain their energy level under pressure, to cope with disruptive changes and adapt. They recover well from setbacks because they take the time to pause, reenergise, reflect and “Spring Forward with Learning”. They also overcome major difficulties without engaging in dysfunctional behaviour or harming others.

Look out for the next blogs in my series on resilience – “The Benefits of Proactive Resilience,” and “How To Be Proactive In The Workplace.”

In the meantime, if you’d like to explore the subject of resilience more deeply, please contact me via Email: russell@theresiliencecoach.co.uk.