To say 2020 was a challenging year is a major understatement!
However, when you go through a difficult year (or season), you have the opportunity to come back stronger than before. As the old adage goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Unfortunately, 2020 was a killer of a year, literally and figuratively. People, businesses, and dreams died due to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis, political disunity, and societal unrest due to social injustice. Dealing with a virus is one thing. Dealing with all these others simultaneously is quite another.
Many people declare a “word of the year” and adopt it as a theme for each new year. I typically find a word to live by, but this year my word found me. “Bounceback” has become my hope and theme. I believe it will be the hope of most people after a very difficult time personally and professionally.
But what does it mean to be a bounceback leader?
Consider the following 4 characteristics of bounceback leaders:
1 – Bounceback leaders are resilient
Leadership is challenging, even in the best of circumstances. Leading through times of disruption is even more challenging. Resiliency is needed when you’re up against tremendous odds. When the deck seems stacked against you, you must display resilience when you want to quit. This is the ability to bounce back to your original form (or even better).
2 – Bounceback leaders are persistent
Persistence is a quality of anyone who has achieved any level of success. Rarely will you achieve greatness on your first try. It’s been said Thomas Edison “failed” 10,000 times, but his perspective was that he found 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb. What if he would’ve given up after his first failed attempt? We may all be sitting in the dark today! When you’re dealing with challenges, commit to being persistent and keep moving forward. Determine to never give up.
3 – Bounceback leaders are optimistic
If you believe you’ve permanently failed and there is no hope for success, bouncing back isn’t an option you’ll even consider. In order to come back from difficult situations, you must find a way to remain optimistic. This isn’t some delusional optimism, but rather it is realistic. While you may not be able to recover all that has been lost in one day, what can you do today to take a step toward recovery? Do that one thing, then the next and the next.
4 – Bounceback leaders are determined
Those who have achieved the greatest successes in the world were determined to find a way to win. Mental toughness is required when things are bad. We all feel like giving up at times, but bounceback leaders refuse to lose. They commit to find a way to win for themselves and those they are leading. They make a decision to keep moving forward amidst and despite adversity.
While many people have been wishing 2020 to be over for the past year, I hope you’ll take time to consider all you’ve learned about yourself and how you endured an unprecedented, unexpected season of life and leadership.
The beginning of a new year is always a great time to reflect on the past year and dream about what could be accomplished in the coming year. If you’re reading this article, celebrate that you survived! Then write down the lessons you’ve learned about yourself, your team, and your organization.
What lessons can you take away from the past year and apply to this new year?
The best lessons are learned when we reflect on our experiences and squeeze the value out of them.
If you want to be a bounceback leader, don’t just pretend 2020 didn’t exist. Instead, glean all you can from a challenging year and apply it to your leadership as you advance into the future.
Until next time…make today GREAT!
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