How to build resilience skills in VUCA times

VUCA is an art word, first used in 1987, and stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.

We are living in a world that is changing persistently and these changes, no matter small or big, are rapidly getting more and more dramatic. What are the causes? What are the effects? As these events develop in totally unexpected ways, it gets nearly impossible to find out answers to these questions.  Also, it gets difficult to plan for investment, development, and growth as the repercussions are harder to understand. Everything is not is black and white – there are grey areas also. The demands on modern organisations and management are more ambiguous than ever. In a world where the solutions are dependent by reasons and procedures, making decisions requires courage, consciousness, and a readiness to make mistakes.

Making things worse, when the pandemic has hit the global economy, the financial markets have become unstable and the economic crisis we are facing is unprecedented. Daily, we get conflicting news and updates about the pandemic. It is not easy to trust all information which is floating around the globe when everybody has an opinion about something that no one actually knows enough about.

In these VUCA times, personal resilience is one of the most powerful skills executives need in order to be successful. Luckily, resilience, which is the ability to deal with and bounce back, actually bounce-forward, from challenges and setbacks, is a developable skill. Earlier, it was thought that resilience was a special characteristic which was beyond the capability of most of humans. But later, years of studies proved that we all have resilience within us and it acts like a muscle.  The more we use our resilience, the stronger it gets.

This is the first and most important step to in building resilience. Be familiar with the things are unpredictable and accept the fact that the rate of change we are facing is only going to increase with time. So instead of thinking about that things will be good, leaders and individual should focus on becoming an expert at finding ways in this ever-changing terrain and embrace uncertainty. Understanding the some things will be out of our control, we shall then focus on what we can control, reacting to the challenges as they arise.

Leaders, who knowingly place themselves in challenging situations, start to become more and more comfortable with being uncomfortable and so are able to make better decisions under stress and rebound quicker from setbacks.

There is another Emotional Intelligence skill that stands out differently – Optimism. Optimism is a mixture of hope and possibility.  When we look at things with a perspective as temporary and isolated and want to improve the situations with individual and collective efforts, this brings on positive power.  Optimism is something that keeps us moving forward, no matter how worse the situation is.

Finding out your purpose is another best way to build resilience. Individuals who know their higher purpose and live with a set of values associated with their purpose are more resilient naturally.  Our purpose and values always guide us to do the right things. And at the end of the day, we will not have any regrets.

To practice gratitude and gratefulness is a great recharging ritual during VUCA times. Happy people count their blessings rather than their burdens.  Take a nature walk in the morning or watch the rising sun, thinking about the good work you can do.  Take a deep breath and focus on what you can do and be thankful for all that you possess at the present moment.  Practice bringing kindness and generosity in your behaviour and this will provide you with the strength to encourage yourself and even other people around you.

Research and studies say that 90% of the difference between high performers and leaders with similar skills can be accredited to their emotional intelligence. Getting inquisitive about our emotions – what we feel and why and activities like meditating, journaling and self-reflection can help in developing emotional intelligence.

Mind cannot work at its best if our body is not healthy. Developing healthier habits, getting enough sleep, proper diet and exercise helps us improving our resilience. Getting 7-8 hours sound sleep per night and at least 3-4 workouts per week of moderate intensity assists us in creating a good physical as well as mental platform to support our resilience. When we move your body, especially when we workout and sweat, we move the anguish and trauma out of our body. Successful leaders are devoted to a regular fitness routine.

While preparing for a high-stress situation, if we think in advance about how stressed we are likely to be at those key steps (on a scale of 0 to 10), it will be particularly helpful for building resilience. It has been acknowledged through the technique that when we do this practice and afterwards reach actually at the point we thought of, we are actually less stressed. Once we get out of that point and reflect on how we went, it will strengthen our resilience. Moreover, by consciously putting ourselves in a situation outside our comfort zone, over time, we become more comfortable with that place.

Mindfulness is another one of most effective ways to build resilience skills. Pay attention to your breath, let go of the thoughts as they arise, try moving meditation techniques like yoga or tai chi, or hold your attention on whatever you are doing, whether it’s taking a shower or talking with a family member. Elite performers and leaders have made this technique a part of their daily routines. It helps in improving the capacity to notice thoughts, feelings and makes us aware about our physical state at that particular moment. And then, it consciously directs our attention to the tasks at hand while facing the setbacks.