Whatever change we’re leading, we all need the ability to fail, cope with shame and humiliation, and get back up again, to face down criticism and confusion, to navigate frustration and journey through grief. As Hillary Clinton, and many others before her have said “When you’re knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.”
But when you’re knocked down, getting back up can be one of the hardest things to do. In session five of She Leads Change, we explore our own resilience. In the spirit of the ‘noticing’ theme that runs through every She Leads Change session, the pre-read begins with consideration of what resilience means to us personally.
What does it mean to you? Take a moment to note down your reaction to the following words. Where the question mark is, write down and look at any other words that came up for you and you’d like to add.
| What this makes me feel | What this makes me think/do | How this relates to resilience | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failure | |||
| Success | |||
| Control | |||
| Anger | |||
| Confrontation | |||
| Compassion | |||
| Shame | |||
| Perfection | |||
| ? | |||
| ? |
Reading back through your responses, ask yourself – what does resilience mean to you? This does not need to be a dictionary perfect definition. It needs to feel personal and relevant to your life.
To return to Hillary Clinton, she said in a 1995 speech “It is often when night looks darkest, it is often before the fever breaks that one senses the gathering momentum for change, when one feels that resurrection of hope in the midst of despair and apathy.”
We closed out our session with this guided meditation, “Be the Mountain”*.
How do you find the patient strength and stability within yourself to weather changes?
Curious to find out more? Apply now for the next She Leads Change cohorts, starting 3rd and 4th September 2018.
*Be the Mountain meditation adapted from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “Mountain Meditation” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/my-brothers-keeper/201709/be-the-mountain-guided-meditation-video-script)
Hi There!
Your post provided truly genuine and sincere advice that would apply to any reader, in particularly, the importance of picking yourself up when you’ve been knocked down.
I believe female entrepreneurs are great examples who highlight this. Despite the roadblocks and adversities that women face in business, it’s empowering to see females make waves within their respective industries. This particular article from Entreprenur.com provides insightful examples of different female leaders who have made waves in their fields, truly inspirational: https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/293974#2
An example of how I feel towards one of your words is below:
FAILURE:
This makes me feel determined to overcome.
This makes me propelled to take action
This relates to resilience, as determination and hard work inspires rewarding achievements.
Thank you for reading this!
From Micah | Co-Founder Bored of Directors