We often talk about resilience as a set of individual skills people need to navigate change, manage stress, and maturely “meet the moment.”
And whether it’s resilience at work, home, or school, we usually zero in on the person, often forgetting a critical part of the equation: the environment they’re operating in.
Organizations tend to say: “Well, the pace is only accelerating. Competition is getting fiercer. The cost of business is going up. So, folks need to step things up.”
A physician may say: “It is what it is. They’ve made significant progress, but there’s only so much more we can do…”
A teacher might say: “Of course he’s an excellent student, but science may just not be his thing…”
But this raises an important question:
What does it actually take for already high-performing individuals or teams to “step things up”?
Research suggests that we need:
- Clarity/Prioritization (clear goals; role clarity; a culture of “do less, better” versus “do more with less”)
- Purpose (connection to team or organization values, vision, and goals)
- Support (recognition and encouragement; testing and learning versus blaming and shaming)
- Trust (asking questions versus making assumptions; direct conversations instead of gossip; authentic peer-to-peer connections; accountability and integrity)
- Tools/processes/resources (reasonable workloads; the right technology and processes; adequate time to get the work done)
- Meaningful training and development (time and permission to learn, experiment, and master)
- Well-being (understanding that well-being is a necessity, not a luxury)
In healthy environments, leaders support and model good behavior; medical teams build realistic health plans, celebrate progress and adjust accordingly; parents set expectations, help children set boundaries, and find additional support…
The point is, outcomes are never driven by an individual’s resilience alone. Environmental support plays a defining role.
Individuals and teams can:
- Show up with positive mindsets
- Regulate their emotions
- Manage their stress
- Proactively solve problems
- Build strong social connections
- Practice healthy self-care
But if they walk into an environment every day that’s defined by:
- Unclear priorities or roles
- Broken processes or tools
- Blame, shame, gossip, or humiliation
- Lack of trust or confidence in their abilities
- Minimal training or development
- Poor role modeling
- Little understanding of well-being
…then individual resilience won’t be enough.
You’ll see burnout.
You’ll see turnover.
You’ll dysfunction and drama.
You’ll likely see lack of progress, mediocre performance, or disengagement.
High performance requires both individual resilience and environmental support. One without the other is just a fraying rope.
I’m continuing to learn about resilience and burnout in real time– connecting dots across leadership, change management, coaching, psychology and team dynamics. Whether you’re working on your own resilience, or you’re being asked to help your teams, your organizations or your loved ones get better and faster at bouncing back, adapting, and growing, join me as I continue to unpack these topics, and explore healthier ways we can work and lead together.
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Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist…just a voracious reader, leader, certified coach, and communications pro who is intensely curious about resilience and burnout and how it’s playing out in our workplaces and lives today. If you’re struggling with your mental health, please seek out a qualified professional.❤️
