Face Failures Head-On: How Resilience Can Save Your Business

Who comes to mind when you think of successful leaders? Is it Nelson Mandela, Jeff Bezos, Jim Thorpe? One thing these leaders all have in common is the resiliency that drove them forward through hardships.

If there’s one thing we’ve had to learn as business owners during this time, it’s the power of resilience. 

Collectively, businesses have never faced such uncertain and unprecedented times as they have this past year. But one of the greatest aspects of the human condition is our ability to recover and adapt.

This is what resilience is - It’s the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress. ( American Psychological Association)

You can not avoid every setback or business challenge. The goal is to not take your eye off the prize despite these failures. Focusing on the ultimate mission and vision of your organizational goals is critical. 

Possessing this as business owners can change the environment for our business, affecting the behaviors of our employees and even our customers.

That being said, you may have to change your mindset or priorities in order to build resiliency in yourself. Consider these things:

Focus on positive relationships 

Your support system is one of the most influential factors of your personality. This includes friends, colleagues, family members, etc. If you are looking for encouragement from a support system that is full of negativity, defeatism, or doomsayers, you will approach situations with the same negativity they radiate.

When you surround yourself with people who guide their reactions to hardships based on optimism, tenacity, and perseverance, you will also approach situations the same way.

Make your health a priority

Consider managing your stress levels. Stress and anxiety are two ways you can make yourself both physically and mentally ill. That’s because stress can suppress your immune system, making you more prone to diseases. Mentally it can cause you to become forgetful, prone to mood swings, and less motivated. This why emotional resilience should also be a priority.

You have to be in a good place both physically and mentally to ensure you have the energy and drive to remain resilient. If you are constantly sick or in a state of anxiety, your resilience will falter. 

Solidify your goals and really define your WHY

Why did you start your business? Why do you continue to pursue your business? These are questions that should form your WHY.

If you don’t have a clear purpose that drives you to a desired outcome, you are just spinning your wheels. You will not progress in your efforts and will find it harder to achieve your goals. Dig deep and find what moves, inspires, and motivates you to build on those pillars for your resilient fortress. This way when hardships and difficulties come, you have the motivation to bounce back from what knocks you down.

Get support and practice a positive mindset

Be more receptive to change and avoid looking at setbacks as failures. Every experience can be valuable if you allow yourself to learn from them.

Consider a concept called “Learned Optimism”. It is a concept that states we can “change our attitude and behaviors—by recognizing and challenging our negative self-talk, among other things“ (Positive Psychology).

If we conform to helplessness or pessimism, it is harder to remain resilient. We are more likely to give up in tough situations. If we can change our mindset, attitude, and behaviors we can see improvements not only in how we approach situations but in our health, relationships, and our business.

It’s time to Bounce Back. When we learn to become resilient, we look at our experiences as windows of opportunity. We are able to accept failure and learn from it to create a better, more profitable business.

Working with a certified ActionCOACH can help you reset and reframe your mindset. Contact us today to connect with a business coach. We also offer a few complimentary coaching sessions every month, so reserve your space before slots are gone.