May 22, 2015

“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom." George S. Patton

On October 8th, 2014 a 26-year-old Staff Sergeant received a standing ovation from a roomful of generals, admirals and captains of industry.  The occasion was the Business Executives for National Security [1] Eisenhower Award Dinner; the Staff Sergeant was Mike Malarsie, a US Air Force veteran who was blinded by an IED attack while serving in Afghanistan. SSgt Malarsie described how, upon regaining consciousness at Walter Reed hospital, he set about a life lived in gratitude for what he still had rather than mourning what he had lost.  And that is exactly what he has done as he tours the country sharing hope and giving inspiration to many [2].

Resilience is a Fundamental Competitive Advantage

In nature, sport, business or war, and as individuals and organizations, the difference between the weak and the strong becomes most apparent in challenging and changing environments. It is therefore our ability as individuals and organizations to persist through and recover from hardship where great potential for long-term competitive advantage lies.  Resilience is at the heart of this.

Different Types of Resilience

There are three types of resilience: material, personal and organizational.  Material resilience is scientifically defined as ‘the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress’ [3].  Resilience is also used more generally to describe the ability of infrastructure to withstand, or recover from, physical damage.  Personal resilience may also have a physical component but more often, and more importantly, refers to the mental ability to ‘bounce back’ from hardship, misfortune and disappointment.  Organizational resilience is a function of the personal resilience of those in the organization, along with how they relate to each other.

Personal Resilience

Unlike the object that ‘recovers its size and shape after deformation’, humans have the capacity to more than simply recover from hardship; we can become more resilient each time we overcome a challenge.  And, as SSgt Malarsie was careful to note, the hardship does not need to be extreme as it was for him, it is the small daily challenges that, when met head on, steadily increase our resilience and help prepare us for bigger challenges.  Although we may feel physically and mentally fatigued as we meet challenges, there is no ‘pool’ of resilience that is being emptied, quite the opposite – we become stronger whenever we take on a challenge.  Just like physical strength and going to the gym, resilience is built up through practice and repetition.  And here’s the magic, the more resilient you think you are, the more resilient you actually are.  Or, in the words of the great Muhammad Ali;

“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even."

Personal Resilience - The Foundation of Organizational Resilience

Just as people are at the heart of organizations, personal resilience lies at the heart of organizational resilience.  Organizations that understand the importance and drivers of personal resilience can take steps to enhance the resilience of team members.  There is a huge difference between the organization that encourages individuals and teams to challenge themselves versus the organization that causes people and teams to build cushions and safety nets for fear of the consequences when things go off course.  It’s hard to see at first glance but companies tend to fall either side of this line because the difference is cultural and comes from the top.

Organizations should also focus more on resilience when hiring.  Job candidates are often asked to cite a challenge that they have previously overcome and will likely have a prepared answer.  This is fine, at least in terms of showing foresight and preparation but it misses the point of the question.  More insight can be achieved by explaining to the candidate the value of demonstrating resilience and that a swift and successful resolution to a challenge does not necessarily achieve this.  More focus on personal resilience will also help companies better appreciate one of the many qualities of candidates with military service.

Team Cohesion - The Glue of Organizational Resilience

The right connections between people and teams within an organization can have a
huge multiplying effect on organizational resilience.  The stronger the bonds between team members, the more supportive they will be of each other and the more resilient the team will be.  In a virtuous cycle, team members will increasingly speak their mind as their respect for each other grows and as they do, the level of trust will grow.  Trust and respect are the elements of team cohesion. 

When SSgt Malarsie recounted the moment at which he decided to ‘bounce back’ he explained that he did so to honor his comrades who did not return.  The military provides many examples of the individual gaining strength from the team and calls it esprit de corps; it is a powerful force.  This concept is woven into military training and organizational structure and many who served are now helping businesses understand how and why to achieve it.

Culture Fosters Organizational Resilience

Two seemingly opposite organizational behaviors are important in fostering organizational resilience: challenge and safety.  A ‘culture of challenge’ encourages colleagues to challenge each other, to challenge the status quo and to challenge and be challenged by business partners.  It is important to acknowledge that this behavior carries risk and why the second organizational behavior, ‘safety’, is also important.  This is an organization that knows the importance of goal setting and rewarding goal achievement but is also able to provide safety from the downsides of risk taking so that people don’t spend their own energy creating safety nets.  Simon Sinek’s TED Talk on ‘Why Good Leaders Make You Feel Safe’ [4] is a great explanation of the way in which culture and leadership can and should engender safety within an organization. His examples from the military are particularly powerful.

I believe that Arnold Glasgow had this topic in mind when he said that “a good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit”  because when this behavior is widespread within an organization the level of safety and trust is high.

Mission & Purpose - Resilience ‘Force Multipliers’

In an earlier blog post [5] I discussed the relationship between purpose and persistence.  A common mission with a strong purpose engenders team cohesion and connects different teams together within an organization.  A clear and meaningful purpose also remains intact when the situation changes and the plan of execution needs to change. A shared purpose and mission plays a critical role in organizational resilience.

Conclusion

Organizations that hire with resilience in mind, foster personal resilience, build team cohesion, have a clear mission and purpose and achieve the right balance between cultural ‘challenge’ and ‘safety’ will gain significant long-term advantages.