Leaders often employ methodical, evidence-backed strategies to enhance their business's resiliency within their market. Rarely, however, do they apply the same approach when it comes to measuring and improving their own ability to adapt and grow, according to the Harvard Business Review.
However, this is a mistake, as resilience is an important individual characteristic. This is especially true for leaders, who are responsible for maintaining morale, inspiring others and leading the organization forward, whether during prosperous or adverse times.
Here are five tips for increasing individual resiliency, according to the report.
1. Increase stores of "positive currency." An individual can amass more "positive currency," or wealth of happiness, by having more positive interactions and memories, which boost resilience. Focusing on the positive things and expressing gratitude for them are the building blocks for resilience, according to the report.
2. Practice good record keeping. Recording your positive currency on paper or a digital equivalent increases its value, according to research from Martin Seligman, PhD, the pioneer of positive psychology.
3. Get others to buy in. Positivity is contagious. By being more positive ourselves, we unknowingly influence others to be the same. In turn, this creates a "reverse run on the bank" loop of positive feedback, meaning our own resilience is increased by the actions of others.
4. Diversify your positivity portfolio. Just as resilient businesses diversify risk, resilient individuals diversify their positive currency, according to the report. They seek to increase their overall resilience by identifying what provides them the highest returns across their "life portfolio" and investing in those areas.
5. Review your positive currency on a regular basis. Measuring and strengthening individual resilience requires a regular review of positivity currency data. This review allows you to assess what makes you the most happy, and also helps you focus on what to demonstrate gratitude for.