Myth of Resilience 1: Resilience is being tough

The Resilience Dynamic, Jenny Campbell, Resilience Mith

Chapter 1: Extract The Resilience Dynamic®.

“Hands up, do any of the following statements resonate with you?
Or are they part of your organisation’s culture?

Don’t show your emotion unless you’re happy and smiling.
Just say everything is ‘fine’.
Don’t show you are feeling vulnerable.
Don’t show you are stressed.
Don’t show you don’t know.
Beat yourself up for being so stupid, but only after they have gone.

Do show when you’ve punched through the challenge.
Do show when you’ve beaten the opposition.
Do show when you’re ok.
Do show when you’re feeling smart.
Do show when you’ve done a lot of smart things.

Any of these statements running around your own head?
Unvoiced possibly, but still driving your action? Do any of these drive your organisation? You may have a lot of learnt values from your upbringing, your workplace, your friends. You may collectively live this kind of culture. And these result in a set of values, not necessarily your own, that drive the way you live.
It ends up a bit like a set of polarities that you have to choose sides on:


[…] Resilience defined as being all about mental or physical toughness can be a very strong driver within organisations, groups and teams. However, instead of enabling flexibility (which is true resilience), it encourages a resistance towards something, a toughening up ‘in the face of ’, a push against. If sustained, this forcefulness leads to brittleness which in turn destroys the possibility of a truer, more flexible set of responses. Being tough can lead to burnout. If this is one of the myths that you are attracted to, you can start to shift your thinking. Start by noticing”.

Chapter 1: Extract The Resilience Dynamic®.

Interested for yourself or your staff?

– Do you find yourself with this kind of either-or thinking?

Being resilient shifts all that. Your first step is “to be present” to your own thoughts and feelings about a situation, and to others’ thoughts and feeling too. 

Being present is like a set of muscles in the mind and body. It takes a bit of practice to get them moving! Why not give yourself 5 minutes to connect with just being in the moment?

If you’re keen to know more about how to support your own and others’ resilience, why not get the book?  

Are you a leader?

– How often are you and your colleagues stuck in this kind of thinking? 

A resilient culture ensures that options and solutions are being generated, no matter what’s going on.

What can you do to build a resilient culture?

1) Get in touch.

2) Buy the book.

3) Learn about our approach.

Are you a coach?

– How often are your clients stuck in this kind of polarity thinking?

Being present – awareness, acceptance, compassion and curiosity, is critical to unlock client thinking.

How are you bringing this specifically into your practice?

Do you want to understand resilience more? Buy the book

If you want to become a Resilient Engine Accreditated Coach, click here.