We are living in uncertain times, of great political and economic change. In such times, resilience and adaptability are key qualities that you must either have or develop if you want to be successful.
Global crises, technological innovations, and volatile markets have created an environment where change is rapid and unpredictable. Any leader who wants to navigate the increasing complexity of our world must work on their inner qualities and education.
In many cases, the qualities and skills required for success are already there. They must simply be accessed, which is usually harder than it seems. The pressures we face every day can destabilize us and make us unable to think clearly.
For those who’ve been in difficult situations many times before, the experience of having found solutions in the available time can boost confidence tremendously. But not everyone is battle-hardened.
Adapting to change is critical in leadership, just as players adapt their strategies in dynamic online games where every decision shapes the outcome.
The Importance of Resilience
Resilience is the capacity to recover relatively quickly from setbacks and take renewed action in the direction of your goals, even if you’re a bit scared of reliving the pain of failure.
Naturally, we tend to avoid suffering. If you put your hand on a hot stove, you quickly learn not to do it again. But in your professional life, you must prevent yourself from forming that kind of avoidance.
Those who succeed are not necessarily people who, as the myths about Mozart would have you believe, do everything perfectly from the first try and never need to go through the pain of correcting mistakes. They are simply those who persevere.
Gamers tend to have this quality because in games, you fail over and over again and you just get used to the idea that you need to restart from time to time if you want to make progress. Mathematicians are in a similar situation. They are usually stuck in a place and must persist to achieve a deeper understanding of the problem.
Nothing worthwhile comes easy. If a task does not involve suffering and setbacks, it’s a long-hanging fruit and anyone can complete it.
Those who want to obtain high rewards must be willing to suffer what others aren’t. They must think like Odin, who hung from the branches of Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights to gain knowledge of the runes and become the wisest of the wise.
The Importance of Adaptability
On the path to success, you often discover that a change in direction is needed or that a resource you need, such as a skill, is missing and must be gained. Adaptability is the capacity to dynamically reassess the situation as frequently as required and reformulate your strategy based on the new conditions.
For example, imagine leaving home and trying to get from point A to point B. Based on your original plan, getting to point B might have taken 20 minutes. But after the first two minutes, you realize that you forgot your phone and must turn back or that there’s been an accident in traffic and now you’ll be delayed.
In life, conditions often change, and what used to work is no longer working. A new approach is needed and finding it may require a lot of effort, learning from mistakes, and systematic problem-solving.
In such scenarios, most people aren’t willing or capable to adapt. They’ve decided that they’re only willing to dedicate a certain amount of resources to achieving what they set out to achieve and any inconvenience will make them want to quit.
Sometimes, when conditions change, people are not resourceful enough to adapt to the situation in the available time and failure ensues. The more knowledge and skills you possess, the easier it is to avoid this unpleasant situation.
In chess, it is said that a good tactician knows what to do when there is something to do, while a good strategist knows what to do when there is nothing to do. If you prepare in advance for situations that demand a high level of adaptability, you are much more likely to succeed.
Conclusion
Being resilient and adaptable is not only a good thing. It is an essential thing if you want to thrive in uncertain times. Luckily, both traits can be developed and the first step is to consider their importance.