By Precious Ajayi.

Leadership, the famed term, coveted by most, used only by a few, but what if I told you leadership wasn’t only for those in high positions? That is a conscious state of mind. Beyond being the SUG president, or being the most popular person in the block. Leadership is having a specific mindset, but a lot of the so-called leaders do not have this. The mental capacity, the sheer ability to cope with situations beyond their control.

So as expected, even in leadership, there must be an intersecting point with psychology, where you can see and feel the tangible impact of your knowledge of psychology on the type of leadership you exhibit, and even those you are willing to accept.

Psychological resilience in this context, then refers to the ability of a person, a leader, to cope with crises as they arise. Both emotionally and mentally. So, here, we will be considering the physical, situational, and environmental factors that require your immediate leadership.

As young leaders, you must prioritise learning on the methods through which you can strengthen your psychological capabilities. A leader can only go as far as his/her mind is capable.

Key Components of Psychological Resilience

Going straight to the factors that comprise your level of psychological resilience, we have four main components, all of which their roles are unchangeable, hence you must strive to be proficient in all.

Emotional Regulation: Simply put, this deals with a person’s ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences effectively, and yes, this includes when you feel your effort isn’t appreciated by your subordinates, or when you are just feeling the “blues” of life.

Cognitive Reframing: This means restructuring the way one thinks about a stressful situation to alter its emotional impact. External issues would only affect you if your mind is set on them affecting you.

Locus of Control: This refers to the belief in one’s ability to control events affecting them, and even while this is very useful, it is important leaders maintain checks and balances which would ensure that they are not shirking duty in the name of worrying things in your locus of control alone.

Brain Adaptability: The brain is one of the most awe-inspiring parts of the body, as it can adapt and reorganise itself, which means as young leaders, an important way you can develop your psychological resilience is to ensure that you are not in your comfort zone where you don’t do any heavy thinking.

Building Resilience as a Leader

Now that you have a sound understanding of the value of psychological resilience as a leader, how do you develop or improve upon your existing level of resilience? Below are four(4) key steps which are helpful towards building resilience.

Mindfulness Practices: Unlike the warped perception of mindfulness techniques, what they do is create a system where you can be properly self-aware without resorting to self-hating. By using techniques such as Yoga and meditation, and setting out time to put in the work, you would be able to regulate your emotions and be self-aware to spot mistakes in your actions without affecting team dynamics.

Social Support Networks: Beyond the work of a leader, every leader must possess a circle of individuals who serve as checks and balances, provide emotional support, and offer a sense of belonging for the leader.

Growth Mindset: This refers to the innate belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, and this can be passed to subordinates, the ability to look down, see your flaws and improve upon them

Cognitive Behavioral Techniques: these are techniques developed by psychologists to help reconfigure an individual’s reaction and perception of what is permissible and what isn’t. The most notable and useful CBTs for individuals looking to improve their mental resilience are; 

• Cognitive Restructuring (Identify the negative thought, Challenge it, and replace it with positive alternatives), 
• Behavioural activation (Schedule positive activities, Break down tasks into manageable ones, Track your progress), and 
• Exposure Therapy (Gradual Exposure to the feared situation, Desensitise yourself to the situation, Always reflect on the experience)

Practical Tips for Young Leaders

With the information presented through this write-up, below are some additional practical tips that you can implement to get started:

1. Daily Habits for Resilience: Incorporating activities that promote well-being, such as journaling or exercise, such as cardio exercises and mental juggling.
2. Stress Inoculation Training (SIT): Gradual exposure to stressors to build tolerance.
3. Positive Affirmations: Repeating positive statements early in the morning every day to oneself to enhance self-belief.

The true importance of the above mental and psychological resilience as iterated above is crucial towards helping any individual or any organisation achieve success. As the popular Muhammad Ali quote says “The fight is won or lost far away from witness.” Your ability to cope under pressure also is built to either last or fail outside the gaze of your followers, and it is your choice to determine if you would start developing your mental strength even now that you don’t have the position yet.

And if you know you are weak now, do not despair, every moment is an opportunity to be the best version of yourself, Rome is not built in a day, gradual steps to achieve large results.