Uncategorised

Exploring Personal Resilience

  • 7:56 am
  • July 9, 2025

What does  Resilience mean to you ? When asked this question at a time of stress and upheaval in my life, I answered, “being able to bend and not break”. I had a mental image of how trees sway in a storm, and yet stay rooted. I developed the 5 Rs approach in this blog as a way of reminding myself what I need to do to stay resilient.

A VUCA world has become a truism, in the complexity and turmoil of corporate life set in a wider landscape of turbulent world events, pandemics and climate crisis.  Working with executive leaders and their teams in organisations, there are increasing calls for developing greater personal and team resilience, and privately we hear familiar stories about the challenges of living with anxiety, uncertainty, and overwhelm – as well as the impact of retrenchment and culture change on how leaders are reacting .

Leaders are wanting to know how to deal with events outside their own control, which may affect their lives deeply, without hunkering down, and switching off, and being able to feel they can still make choices.

Responding

Rather than Reacting

On an individual level, Resilience can be best seen as a personal practice, and practices require repeated practise by paying attention to how you are acting and being at both a mental, emotional and somatic level.

Choosing our response rather than reacting is not easy to do. Noticing your reaction is a first step and helps you be able to centre yourself and make a split second choice when you notice you are triggered by an event, or a passing comment, and usually this is driven by your own feelings and assumptions.

Leaders can react to high levels of ambiguity and complexity by freezing ,withdrawing or moving to blame. This causes a reaction viscerally, and you can recognise the signs of this in your body, which we are often disconnected from -” the classic head on a stick” syndrome that many years of education and socialisation may have produced .  Working somatically is how we help leaders recognise how they are reacting in the moment and literally move – take steps to make shifts.

Learning to notice your reaction is a first step, as your body may react fast, in a pre-conscious way, your stomach may tighten, breathing become shallower and your pulse quickens, as you gear up in an automatic physical reaction. These reactions to potential triggers are driven by your own stress patterns, feelings and underlying assumptions about what the perceived threat or unwelcome news may mean.

Reality Check

A wider perspective

When we notice we are triggered and take a moment to reflect we can ask questions of ourselves and the situation in a wider perspective…, why am I using my emotional energy this way? what is actually going well in my life? Do I really need to re-run an old script here ? Recognising that “all too familiar feeling “is a sure sign, your reaction could be an old pattern being triggered and helps you in stepping back from the trigger and taking a wider view of reality. Transformational shifts occur when we can step out of old patterns by recognising our assumptions  and choose a new response.

A sense of gratitude for life –through breathing deeply and having some immediate  connection to nature tends to restore equilibrium, and  if you are in a busy office, crowded street, you can shift your perspective by noticing how you feel in your body, breathing, walking, moving and switching your attention to a wider gaze.

And what’s the wider bigger picture – the reality of others? what lay behind a decision that has affected you – a policy change, not realising the impact, a decision taken a long way from the implications. How can you step in their shoes to check out their reality?

Resource

How can we be fully resourced?

Everyone’s route to being resourced will vary enormously. What is key is recognising what you need.  For some people this will be having practical help from key people, tools to help them reflect, techniques to manage stress; for others, they need colleagues to confide in or an external  coach. Nature can also be a resource, even in an office environment,  moving about rather than being chained to your laptop. Increasingly, I notice I think more clearly when I am moving, out for a brief walk in the park or being out in a windy city street can resource me. Our complex body- brain connection was designed to help us move physically, as ancient humans in fight / flight mode, so we actually think better on the move.

Setting boundaries will help resource you so that you are able to be less affected by the systemic and cultural dynamics around you. This may include resilience practices such as digital hygiene, regular breaks, exercise, taking your holidays, diet and mindfulness.

The most effective leaders manage their boundaries as well as their time, and make choices moment to moment about what they let in to their awareness, in terms of external pressures, demands and perceptions and focus on how they can maintain the mental, emotional and physical state they are in.

Recharge

What does recharging mean to you?

Taking a complete break can be a breakthrough. Leadership retreats in nature – a fire circle in the woods, 24 hours solo time, forest bathing are now less unusual ways leaders are turning to switch off from a myriad of pressures and being “always on “. You could join us on our new workshop on Rewilding with Resilience which gives you a chance to work in this way in nature. Having a day to day approach to build in recharge time is important to embed any changes in your life, whether its exercise, sport, mindfulness, relaxing.

Research conducted by University of Westminster where leaders were connected to a heart and cortisol monitor over a week as part of their Resilience Lab  showed surprising results around what recharged them. The graph would stay in the red, even outside work, at the gym or putting the kids to bed, and individuals learned that “green moments” occurred at times they might not expect – singing with the kids, or whilst dancing round the kitchen making a meal, or appear in the day, when they completed the budget at long last. Having a personal guide to your own day to day pattern of recharge is invaluable.

Reframe

Seeing with new eyes

How we reframe what we are experiencing and shift our mindset helps create long lasting shifts in practice, and can occur through examining what gives us meaning, and how much we are “on purpose” in our work and life. If we can reframe through examining the underlying patterns and assumptions, eg from “ I am constantly overwhelmed and too busy”  to ” I have many choices and its ok to do enough, rather than 150% “, we have more chance of actually changing our behaviour, than just addressing the symptoms.

On workshops I have encouraged people to create a lasting symbol, to reframe their resilience through nature,  by finding a natural object : something that represents the shift you are making or taking a mindful photo, seeing differently through capturing your shift in perspective on the phone. The pinecone I picked up once on a workshop sits on my desk as a personal reminder of how I can adapt resiliently, expanding when I need to, protecting my boundaries and closing up at other times.

Self and System leadership requires self compassion

Finally at the heart of resilience is compassion, for yourself and others – no need to criticise yourself for having your own reactions, as we all have personal patterns, often inbuilt from childhood, and eradicating them can be a life’s work. Recognising cultural patterns within an organisational system and how those patterns affect you and others is also an act of compassion.

For a conversation on applying this approach contact [email protected]

 

Share this post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

In Your Inbox

Stay up to date with our latest thinking, why not sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter. We promise we won’t share your details to anyone.
FOLLOW US
EUROPE

Future Considerations Ltd

86-90 Paul Street

London

EC2A 4NE

Phone: +44(0) 2074 921 790

[email protected]

ASIA

Future Considerations Ltd

29 Adonis Street, Acropolis

Subdivision, Libis,

Quezon City,

Philippines 1110

[email protected]

All rights reserved Future Considerations 2025. | Privacy Policy
Jules brings over 45 years of experience to boosting people’s motivation and purposeful contribution to their roles and organisations. With first-hand experience of senior leadership in the private and non-profit sectors and 15 as a consultant.

Jules designs and delivers leadership development and partnering programmes for all levels of leaders and managers. Trained to coach individuals and teams to build trust, techniques and resilience in a volatile and complex world. Clients include Arup, Philips, PwC, Aegon, British Council, and both Universities in Sheffield.

Jules specialises in bringing personal insight and awareness to individuals and teams to help transform their effectiveness and productivity. Jules brings humanity and lightness to the serious work of deepening understanding between people and developing the skills and mastery needed for cooperation to thrive.
Pete has over 20 years of experience helping individuals and organisations achieve their aims. He works with individuals, teams, and entire organisations to this end and has worked with organisations across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Previous clients include Barclays, Boston Consulting Group, HSBC, KPMG, and the UK and Singapore Civil Services.

His speciality lies in the area of Embodied Leadership and Somatic Coaching, where he has written a book and completed a PhD. In addition, he works with conflict in organisations, an area where he has a keen interest. He has many years of experience in action and self-managed learning processes and supervises PhD students on Hult Ashridge’s Doctorate in Organisational Change.

Pete lives in Brighton with his wife and young daughter, reads widely, loves to cook, and practises martial arts.
Lycia’s work is about unlocking potential in pursuit of our dreams to make the world a better place. Her focus is on teams and the magic of what people achieve together.

She takes a systemic approach that shines a light on the deeper dynamics influencing our perception and choices. She accompanies and resources leaders and ‘top teams’ in their role as shapers. She helps groups build cultures for innovation and extraordinary partnership. She helps people explore resistance and stuckness, and what is limiting their success and fulfilment. People are able to act with more awareness, alignment, impact and ease.

Lycia works with groups of all flavours and sizes, sectors and industries.
She is somewhat of a complexity nerd, and is certified in Leadership Circle and Collective Leadership Assessment, the Organisation Workshop (the work of Barry Oshry) and has trained continuously since 2011 in systemic constellations.
With 20 years’ experience working in the international arena, James has coached leaders of international organisations and multinational corporations for performance enhancement in multi-cultural settings and develops the capacity of senior management to work productively in diverse teams.

As a facilitator, James excels in working in multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary teams using innovative, solution-oriented methodologies. He facilitates multi-stakeholder processes to co-create joint strategies and plans for joint ventures, mergers and collaborative poverty reduction strategies. In order to ensure success of these plans, James provides coaching on change management, organisational culture and performance management.

James uses a range of coaching tools and techniques which support learning and performance and has certificates in Systems Coaching, embodied Coaching and Constellations. Clients include JP Morgan, Daimler FS India, Pertamina, The Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Kantar, IFC Hong Kong and Bank Negara Indonesia.
Patricia is a deep listener, being able to see what is really needed and alive beyond what is initially said or seen (making the invisible visible). She establishes a safe and inviting learning space where people feel comfortable to step out of their comfort zone and stretch themselves to the edges of their abilities.

She designs learning programmes, workshops and coaching interventions that are fit to the challenge of growing people and that are fresh, engaging and motivational and she facilitates with compassion, depth and humour. She is a ICF certified coach, specialising in systemic coaching of organisations and individuals.

She has over 20 years business experience, including as head of Learning and Development for a large bank before starting her own business in leadership and organisational development - consulting, training, facilitating and coaching. Her clients are globally spread in different industries and sectors including finance, automotive, insurance, pharmaceutical, supply chain, manufacturers.
Jaroslav has been developing leaders for over 20 years during which he designed and delivered more than 10,000 hours of global development programmes, coaching sessions, workshops and learning interventions for clients such as Bayer, HSBC, Shell, Mars, Vodafone, Microsoft, Ford, KPMG and Accenture.
He specialises in leadership coaching, innovative learning design and helping people successfully partner with AI in their life and work.

Jaroslav has personally coached close to 500 senior and mid-level leaders on topics such as improving performance, career progression, building a high-performing team and others. He has designed and built numerous self-paced and cohort-based online development programmes, which include virtual coaching and delivery.

He has also been trained as a futurist at Singularity University and spent close to 10 years training and coaching future-focused innovators, entrepreneurs, business owners and thought-leaders globally.
Celine is a coach, consultant and facilitator, working with change-makers to reshape the world of work, business and society. With 30 years’ experience across brand strategy, sustainability, organisational development and coaching, Celine works with leaders and teams to align Purpose, Meaning and Impact. Her clients include large corporations, NGOs, charities & foundations & educational institutions.

Celine is a certified practitioner and trainer with Map of Meaning International, bringing a powerful framework for cultivating meaningful work at individual, team and organisational levels. She is also the founder of Meaningful Futures, a social innovation project giving young people the skills and confidence to craft meaningful and regenerative careers.

Celine holds an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice and advanced coaching qualifications. She draws on a wealth of experience in personal transformation and systems thinking to help clients build confidence and clarity to lead complex change from who they are, or put simply: to be themselves and do what matters.
As a facilitator, Louie’s practice includes the design and delivery of structured learning solutions for organisations and teams for both local and international companies located in the Philippines, wider Asia region and the world.
His interests are in the realm of leadership, individual and team development. Louies 22 years of experience includes working with middle management up to the C-suite level. As a coach, Louie combines somatic practices to support his clients in understanding the connection of mind, heart and body. He uses a wholistic approach as a base to provide space for sustainable change. He encourages people to break barriers, challenge what is current and move them to a space of choice and action.

Louie’s training and education involve Somatics, Emotional Intelligence, Interactive Strategies, Action Reflection Learning, NLP, Spiral Dynamics, Improvisation, Transition Coaching, Appreciative Inquiry and he is a certified coach.
Dick brings over 30 years of experience helping organisations navigate complex change and is passionate about helping people engage in purposeful work in a meaningful way.

He delivers leadership development programmes, coaching individuals and teams to build capability, confidence and resilience in a changing world. Recent clients include Arup, Aegon, Zurich, Prudential, and Phillips, with experience spanning from new managers to senior leadership and board level.

His work focuses on systemic approaches to organisational transformation, new ways of working such as self-managing systems, and effective governance. Dick brings a calm, grounded presence and is known for his ability to hold space for deep reflection and practical progress.
Laura specialises in embedding growth mindset at the heart of how organisations operate, lead, and evolve. Her mission is to help people and their organisations become more adaptable in today’s complex world, without the disruption and resistance that often accompany traditional change programmes. By fostering a culture of continuous learning, resilience, and psychological safety, Laura empowers individuals and teams to challenge assumptions, shift behaviours, and drive sustainable transformation.

With over 20 years of commercial experience, Laura brings a unique blend of strategic insight and human-centred practice. Beginning her career at Unilever, she has since worked across many sectors, including Infrastructure, Defence, Finance, Healthcare, Energy, and Government - leading large-scale programmes and enabling leadership development from graduate to C-suite levels. Her work focuses on equipping people with the skills and mindsets needed to lead change, collaborate effectively, and perform at their best in uncertain environments.

Laura loves horse riding and rowing and has 2 young children that occupy much of her spare time!
Since 2000, Beth has been a consultant, coach and facilitator. Beth has coached C-suite executives all over the world. She coaches leadership teams, including those in start-up or transition. Beth has also been part of the development staff in many leadership faculties for multinational organisations such as Shell, Philips, Adidas, Jollibee Food Corporation, British Petroleum and others. Her ability to work across multiple cultures has been honed through her leadership responsibilities as a global senior executive at Johnson & Johnson and through worldwide and regional assignments in leadership development for a range of multinationals as a programme developer and executive coach.

Abundant energy and physical stamina, Beth has an infectious but grounded energy. Her communication skills carry her comfortably from the lecture hall to the boardroom. Her coaching skills can give an invaluable boost to rising, or temporarily sputtering, organisational stars. She has been recognised for her unique ability to draw out extraordinary performance in organisations and teams with diverse members.
Jon’s early career designing applications led to him becoming IT director for a market-leading multinational. His systemic perspective, allied with a background in psychology and subsequent leadership experience inside major organisations was followed by intensive learning in personal development, values systems and multiple intelligences. Brought together, these create a transformational perspective for understanding and developing organisations as living systems.

Jon is a master trainer in Spiral Dynamics, a founder director of the UK chapter of Conscious Capitalism and a certified Spiritual Intelligence coach. He is the author of several books and articles and is developer of Relational Being, a visionary whole-systems approach to evidence-based spirituality, complexity science, human emergence, societal change and conscious business. This breadth of experience and deep understanding informs his work as a consultant, coach, trainer and facilitator
Jon Freeman, UK

Jon’s early career designing applications led to him becoming IT director for a market-leading multinational. His systemic perspective, allied with a background in psychology and subsequent leadership experience inside major organisations was followed by intensive learning in personal development, values systems and multiple intelligences. Brought together, these create a transformational perspective for understanding and developing organisations as living systems. Jon is a master trainer in Spiral Dynamics, a founder director of the UK chapter of Conscious Capitalism and a certified Spiritual Intelligence coach. He is the author of several books and articles and is developer of Relational Being, a visionary whole systems approach to evidence-based spirituality, complexity science, human emergence, societal change and conscious business. This breadth of experience and deep understanding informs his work as a consultant, coach, trainer and facilitator.