Resilience means growing with the unexpected.
Fragile things break when the unexpected happens. Sturdy things last a little longer. That is why resilience is the opposite of fragility.
Managers would do well to seek, promote and cultivate resilience:
| Classic leadership behaviour | Resilient leadership |
|---|---|
| I give employees as much security as possible. | I provide as much security as necessary. Where possible, I consciously allow for uncertainty. Because you grow by working through uncertainty. I play delegation poker all the time. |
| I clarify the interfaces, focus on AKV | Rules are ok and can be broken with good reason (see car park metaphor below) |
| I feel responsible for the satisfaction of my employees. (Caution, cuddle trap) | All people are responsible for their own satisfaction. (Caution: It is true, but the truth is sometimes overwhelming. Do not overload!) |
| Comfort zone is the goal | Learning zone is the goal (your comfort zone is your prison) |
Car park metaphor
Sunday evening, empty car park: do I drive around the fields to get to my parking space, or do I take the shortcut across the empty fields?
There are companies where the markings resemble small walls: Don't drive over them! Whether it makes sense or not is secondary. In other companies, markings are orientation aids that may be crossed for good reason.
However, the lines do have a purpose! Namely, to set parking regulations so that as many people as possible have space. The point is not to lengthen the routes.
I experienced the most impressive or pointless rules as a young project manager when I needed a login for a system. The employee in charge told me: "Sign here." I looked at the sheet. It said: "I hereby confirm that I have received the introduction to the system." I asked about the fact that I hadn't received an introduction. The employee said: "I just need this signature so that I can give you a login."
Rules have taken on a life of their own here.
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Source
Nassim Taleb calls resilience even more aptly antifragility. The core idea for this article comes from his book Antifragility: Taleb, Nassim (2013). Antifragility.