Resilience-Building Leader Program

Resilience-Building

Leader Program

Resilience-Building Leadership Professional

RBLP

Certification Exam Prep

Lesson Material

V2.2

© RBLP All Rights Reserved 2

Resilience-Building Leader Program

Our Purpose: We understand that collective resilience is essential for organizational learning

and change. Our purpose is to share this truth with leaders everywhere.

Our Mission: Our mission is to identify and certify people that are ready to build resilient teams

and lead them in a challenging environment.

Our Vision: We envision a worldwide community of practice committed to the idea of Building

Resilient Teams.

Our Certifications

The Resilience-Building Leadership Professional (RBLP) certification exam is for front-line

supervisors. Organizations need front-line supervisors that can build resilient teams. Building

resilient teams that can work together to overcome adversity in a challenging environment is a

core competency for leaders at all levels. Resilient teams are stronger together, and they make

organizational learning and change possible.

The Resilience-Building Leadership Professional Coach (RBLP-C) certification exam is for

middle managers. Organizations need middle managers that can build resilient teams and

facilitate team learning. Demands for process improvement and innovation are commonplace.

Adapting to change means that teams must learn new policies, processes, and procedures.

Facilitating team learning is essential for problem-solving.

The Resilience-Building Leadership Professional Trainer (RBLP-T) certification exam is for

senior leaders. Organizations need senior leaders that can build resilient teams, facilitate team

learning, and support organizational learning. Organizations stay competitive by growing their

capabilities. Both organizational learning and change are hard to do. Supporting organizational

learning makes change possible and enables competitive advantage.

Copyright © 2021 Resilience-Building Leader Program. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other

electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief

quotations embodied in critical or educational review and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright

law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at the address listed below.

Resilience-Building Leader Program LLC

3900 W. Alameda Ave, Suite 1200

Burbank, CA 91505

(213) 205-6100

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Table of Contents Administration _______________________________________________________________ 3

Videos ____________________________________________________________________________ 4

End of Lesson _____________________________________________________________________ 4

Examination ______________________________________________________________________ 4

Create a Positive Climate _______________________________________________________ 5

Leader Task 1: Analyze team climate __________________________________________________ 6

Leader Task 2: Earn trust ___________________________________________________________ 7

Leader Task 3: Treat people with respect ______________________________________________ 8

Leader Task 4: Enforce accountability_________________________________________________ 9

Leader Task 5: Encourage people to have fun __________________________________________ 10

Leader Task 6: Demonstrate character _______________________________________________ 11

Leader Task 7: Manage expectations _________________________________________________ 12

Develop Cohesion ____________________________________________________________ 13

Leader Task 1: Analyze team cohesion _______________________________________________ 14

Leader Task 2: Encourage people to work in teams _____________________________________ 15

Leader Task 3: Promote trust between team members __________________________________ 16

Leader Task 4: Ensure mutual respect between team members ___________________________ 17

Leader Task 5: Show genuine concern for people _______________________________________ 18

Leader Task 6: Be there when the going gets tough _____________________________________ 19

Leader Task 7: Talk about setbacks __________________________________________________ 20

Provide Purpose _____________________________________________________________ 21

Leader Task 1: Analyze individual purpose ___________________________________________ 22

Leader Task 2: Encourage individual learning _________________________________________ 23

Leader Task 3: Train the team ______________________________________________________ 24

Leader Task 4: Delegate responsibility________________________________________________ 25

Leader Task 5: Empower decision-making ____________________________________________ 26

Leader Task 6: Keep people focused on the mission _____________________________________ 27

Leader Task 7: Keep the team informed ______________________________________________ 28

Administration


Videos The title of each video is a hyperlink that will open to watch the video.

End of Lesson

At the end of each lesson, a hyperlink labeled End of Lesson will return you to the Table of

Contents. When you reach the end of the last lesson for the exam prep training course, a

hyperlink labeled End of Exam Prep Training Course Lesson Material will return you to the

Table of Contents.

Examination To learn more about the Certification Exam, please visit the website (HERE).

To schedule and order your RBLP exam, please visit the website (HERE).

During the exam, you may only use the Lesson Material and any notes you have as a guide or

reference and not read directly to answer any questions.

https://resiliencebuildingleader.com/schedule-exam/

https://resiliencebuildingleader.com/product/rblp-certification-exam/


Create a Positive Climate

Leaders can create a positive climate by earning trust, treating people with respect, enforcing

accountability, encouraging people to have fun, demonstrating character, and managing

expectations. High morale is a consequence of a positive climate. People that work in a positive

climate are more resilient.

Required Knowledge:

Know the relationship between culture and climate.

Know the relationship between climate and morale.

Know why earning trust creates a positive climate and builds collective resilience.

Know how to earn trust.

Know the relationship between authenticity and earning trust.

Know why treating people with respect creates a positive climate and builds collective

resilience.

Know how to treat people with respect.

Know the relationship between inclusion and treating people with respect.

Know why enforcing accountability creates a positive climate and builds collective

resilience.

Know how to enforce accountability.

Know why encouraging people to have fun creates a positive climate and builds collective

resilience.

Know how to encourage people to have fun.

Know why demonstrating the character traits of moral courage, honesty, humility, and

empathy creates a positive climate and builds collective resilience.

Know how to demonstrate the character traits of moral courage, honesty, humility, and

empathy.

Know why managing expectations creates a positive climate and builds collective resilience.

Know how to manage expectations.

Know why creating a positive climate builds resilience.

Know how to create a positive climate.


Leader Task 1: Analyze team climate

Discussion Topics: Climate is about shared perceptions that team members have regarding the attitudes that

characterize the team. Climate is a bottom-up concept and the responsibility of front-line leaders.

Climate can change quickly depending on the actions of front-line leaders.

Climate is different than culture. An organization’s culture is defined by the shared assumptions,

values, and beliefs that govern how people behave in the organization. Culture is a top-down

concept and the responsibility of senior leaders. An organization’s culture can only change

slowly over time.

Morale is critical in both climate and culture. The team’s morale is based on their confidence,

willingness, and discipline to succeed, especially while facing challenges and adversity.

If front-line leaders are not doing their jobs, it is possible to have a bad team climate inside of a

great organizational culture. Of course, the opposite can also be true. It is certainly possible to

have a positive team climate inside of a not-so-good culture.

Reflection: Review the topics above with your instructor. Ensure that you understand the meaning of any

underlined terms.

Would you describe the climate that you currently work in as positive or negative? How would

you describe previous climates where you worked?

Why are people who work in a positive climate more able to overcome challenges and then adapt

and grow due to the challenges?


Leader Task 2: Earn trust

Discussion Topics: When leaders earn the trust of their people, it contributes to a positive climate. People are

naturally skeptical of their leaders. It takes time for leaders to earn trust.

When people trust their leaders, they are more willing to accept the influence of those leaders.

Leaders that extend trust are more likely to be trusted.

Leaders earn trust when they are willing to be authentic and vulnerable. Authenticity is about

being transparent and not pretending to be somebody that you are not. Authenticity means

showing up as your true self and being willing to connect with others as you are. Authentic

leaders value their people’s diverse ideas and experiences and can have an open and honest

dialogue with them. Vulnerability is being susceptible to new experiences, ideas, changes, and

uncertainty. Leaders must accept a level of risk expressing their imperfections, admitting fault,

and talking about the unknowns with their team.

Being authentic makes a person vulnerable. Being vulnerable is a strength that takes courage.

Reflection: Review the topics above with your instructor. Ensure that you understand the meaning of and

underlined terms.

In your experience, why is earning the trust of your team so important?

How does earning trust help to create a positive climate?

Have you always trusted your supervisors?

How do you earn the trust of your team?


Leader Task 3: Treat people with respect

Discussion Topics: When leaders treat people with respect, it contributes to a positive climate. Respect is the

admiration between people for their ideas and what they feel is important. People that feel

respected at work are more engaged and productive. Respect is in the eye of the beholder.

Leaders treat people with respect by encouraging them to “open up” and by valuing their

opinions. Leaders who effectively use active listening in their communication clearly value

respect as a key component of collaboration. Active listening is when a person listens attentively

to somebody without preemptively judging and then asks smart questions to gain the best

understanding possible.

Diversity Inclusion

Leaders treat people with respect by embracing diversity and being inclusive. Diversity is

recognizing and respecting individual differences and similarities and the unique contribution

every employee can make. Being inclusive is ensuring that people have equal opportunities for

involvement and empowerment. Inclusivity highlights the unique perspectives and ideas to

incorporate into the workplace environment to build the organization’s culture.

Treating people with respect means treating them fairly and consistently. Leaders show respect

by recognizing people for their hard work.


underlined terms.

In your experience, why is treating people with respect so important?

How does treating people with respect help to create a positive climate?

Have your supervisors always treated you with respect?

What are some ways that you treat people with respect in the workplace?


Leader Task 4: Enforce accountability

Discussion Topics: When leaders enforce accountability, it contributes to a positive climate. A workplace without

accountability is undisciplined and chaotic. When enforcing accountability, leaders must be firm,

fair, and consistent.

Leaders should be clear about their standards for acceptable workplace conduct, performance,

and learning. Leaders owe it to those that are doing things right to hold non-performers

accountable. Of course, leaders must hold themselves accountable to established standards.

Leaders set the example for accountability by showing their people “what right looks like.”

Holding people accountable doesn’t always mean punishment. In most cases, enforcing

accountability simply means correcting behaviors. It means ensuring that people are learning

from their mistakes and meeting the established standards.


underlined terms.

In your experience, why is enforcing accountability so important?

How does enforcing accountability help to create a positive climate?

Have your supervisors always enforced accountability firmly, fairly, and consistently?

How do you enforce accountability in the workplace?


Leader Task 5: Encourage people to have fun

Discussion Topics: When leaders encourage their people to have fun, it contributes to a positive climate. We spend

more time at work than we do with our families. Work should not be miserable.

Having fun helps people relax and take a mental break from the challenges they face. People

often use humor as a personal coping mechanism against stress. Laughter can help to relieve

anxiety and fear. Having fun opens dialogue and builds cohesion among the team.

Friendly competitions at work are fun and encourage camaraderie when teams compete.

Having a sense of humor about shared challenges provides a way to bond with others facing the

same challenges. Self-deprecating humor, especially from leaders, is a powerful tool.


underlined terms.

In your experience, why is having fun at work so important?

How does having fun at work help to create a positive climate?

Have your supervisors always encouraged people to have fun at work?

How do people in your workplace have fun?


Leader Task 6: Demonstrate character

Discussion Topics: A leader’s character will make or break their reputation. People will not give 100% of their

efforts to leaders that lack character. The leader’s character is built by earning the trust and

respect of their team. When leaders demonstrate the following character traits to their teams, it

makes people more resilient.

• Moral Courage – To take action for moral reasons despite the risk of adverse reactions • Honesty – Showing genuine principles, intentions, and actions

• Humility – Having a modest opinion or assessment of one’s importance

• Empathy – The vicarious experience of feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another

Demonstrating moral courage and honesty inspires trust. Demonstrating humility and empathy is

a show of respect.


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when their leaders demonstrate character?

Have your supervisors always demonstrated the character traits of moral courage, honesty,

humility, and empathy?

How would you rate yourself on demonstrating these character traits? Which one would you like

to improve on, and how would you?


Leader Task 7: Manage expectations

Discussion Topics: Expectations are assumptions, beliefs, and ideas of actions and the results. Managing

expectations is about mentally preparing people for obstacles and challenges to cope with stress.

Plans rarely go as expected. Leaders must understand the associated risks and to be with the team

as they face the challenges.

Leaders should ask themselves and their teams the following types of questions:

• What is the worst-case scenario that we can expect?

• How do we prepare and adapt for that? • What else might go wrong? • What is our plan B?

Managing expectations of what the team may face keeps them informed, focuses them on their

individual purpose, and creates a more cohesive and resilient organization.


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when leaders manage their expectations?

Have your supervisors always managed expectations in the workplace?

How would you rate yourself on managing expectations for your team?

Videos

Please click on each title to watch videos that are relevant to the topics in this lesson:

Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability

Marco Alverà: The surprising ingredient that makes businesses work better

Drew Dudley: Everyday leadership

End of Lesson

https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability

https://www.ted.com/talks/marco_alvera_the_surprising_ingredient_that_makes_businesses_work_better

https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership


Develop Cohesion

Leaders develop cohesion by organizing people to work in teams, promoting trust between team

members, ensuring mutual respect between team members, showing genuine concern for people,

being there when the going gets tough, and talking about setbacks. Teamwork is the consequence

of developing cohesion. Developing cohesion is essential for building resilient teams.

Required Knowledge:

Know the relationship between social cohesion and task cohesion.

Know why encouraging people to work in teams develops cohesion and builds collective

resilience.

Know the relationship between cohesion and shared leadership.

Know the relationship between cohesion and teamwork.

Know how to encourage people to work in teams.

Know why promoting trust between team members develops cohesion and builds collective

resilience.

Know how to promote trust between team members.

Know why ensuring mutual respect between team members develops cohesion and builds

collective resilience.

Know how to ensure mutual respect between team members.

Know why showing genuine concern for people develops cohesion and builds collective

resilience.

Know how to show genuine concern for people.

Know why being there when the going gets tough develops cohesion and builds collective

resilience.

Know how to be there when the going gets tough.

Know why talking about setbacks develops cohesion and builds collective resilience.

Know how to talk about setbacks.

Know why developing cohesion builds resilience.

Know how to develop cohesion.


Leader Task 1: Analyze team cohesion

Discussion Topics: Cohesion is a dynamic social construct that enables a group of people to work together

effectively that develops over time. In a cohesive group, each person’s capacity to overcome

challenges is enhanced by working with other people.

There is strength in numbers. Cohesive groups tend to remain united even during a crisis. People

who belong to groups are happier. People who identify with a group take pride in being part of it.

Social and task cohesion are found in resilient organizations.

Social cohesion is about emotional bonding and is evidenced by caring relationships between

team members. Most team-building events are aimed at developing social cohesion.

Task cohesion is about working together effectively to get a job done. Both the lack of training

and variations in training can make task cohesion difficult for team members.

Cohesion enables shared leadership. Shared leadership happens when people are willing to take

on leadership roles, usually informally, in their areas of expertise. Shared leadership inspires

collective engagement with the whole team by reducing differences in status between team

members.


underlined terms.

Would you describe the team that you currently work on as cohesive? How would you describe

the cohesiveness in previous teams?

Why are people who work on a cohesive team more able to overcome challenges and then adapt

and grow as a result of the challenges?


Leader Task 2: Encourage people to work in teams

Discussion Topics:

Working in teams instead of silos is essential for developing cohesion. Teams overcome

challenges more effectively and fosters cooperation and collaboration. Productivity in many

organizations is accomplished mostly by teams. Teams draw on multiple perspectives to solve

problems. Leaders should design tasks that are inherently interdependent of each other. Teams

share their diverse experience, expertise, and resources to ensure that interdependent tasks are

accomplished. Innovation is usually the product of teamwork.

Leaders must set the example of being a “team player” themselves. Leaders don’t just lead

teams; they are part of the team.


underlined terms.

In your experience, why is working as a team so important?

How does working as a team help to develop cohesion?

Have your supervisors always encouraged people to work in teams?

How do you get your people to work in teams?


Leader Task 3: Promote trust between team members

Discussion Topics:

Trust is a confident expectation in someone or something. Trust between peers on a team is

essential for cohesion. It makes cooperation and collaboration between team members much

more likely. When people on a team trust each other, they are more likely to take the risks that

enable adaptive thinking and innovation. When communication is strong among trusting team

members, they are more willing to share ideas and perceived threats to task completion. Adaptive

thinking is a result of this communication. They are more likely to take risks, think through a

range of unexpected situations, and select the right one. Innovation is the product of trusting

teams and adaptive thinking.

Trust also has social and task components. Social trust is having faith that others on your team

have good intentions and will not harm your interests. Task trust is being able to rely on others to

help get the job done.

It takes time to earn trust. Trust is also lost faster than gained. When people on a team do not

trust each other, accountability, cohesion, and efficiency is affected. The loss of trust within the

team must quickly address the root cause.

Reflection:

Review the topics above with your instructor. Ensure that you understand the meaning of any

underlined terms.

In your experience, why is trust between team members so important?

How does encouraging trust between team members help to develop cohesion?

Have you always trusted your teammates at work?

In your experience, when two people on a team do not trust each other, what are some ways to

resolve that situation?


Leader Task 4: Ensure mutual respect between team members

Discussion Topics: Having mutual respect is realizing that people have differences in ideas and thoughts from their

diverse backgrounds and looking past it and including the differences in solutions. Although

modeling the right behavior is essential, leaders must also ensure that team members equally

treat each other with respect. Mutual respect between peers is vital for cohesion and builds social

and task trust.

People are mutually respectful at work when they recognize the inherent worth and dignity of

everyone else. Respect is seeing others’ qualities and capabilities, no matter how “different” they

are from you. Mutual respect means that everyone on the team appreciates the contributions of

others.

Having respect means understanding that others on your team will have different perspectives

and opinions. Having respect means keeping an open mind and being willing to compromise.

Sometimes team members, for various reasons, may be hesitant to speak up for themselves. In

these cases, leaders must take action. Respect is often gauged by the tone of a person’s voice and

body language. Courtesy and kindness are indicators of respect in the workplace. Teams are

well-served by the Platinum Rule of treating others the way they want to be treated.


underlined terms.

In your experience, why is mutual respect between team members so important?

How does ensuring mutual respect between team members help to develop cohesion?

Have your teammates always treated you with respect at work?

In your experience, when someone on a team is not treating others with respect, what are some

ways to address that situation?


Leader Task 5: Show genuine concern for people

Discussion Topics: Leaders can earn trust by showing genuine concern for their people. Leaders show genuine

concern by taking the time to get to know their people and being an active listener when they are

expressing themselves. Superficial relationships are not effective.

Showing genuine concern for each other and finding opportunities to help them overcome

challenges, enable team members to manage their expectations and builds cohesion. Helping

overcome their personal and professional challenges leads to increased trust and commitment

with the leader and the team.


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when leaders show genuine concern for them?

Have your supervisors always shown genuine concern for you?

How do you show genuine concern for the people that work for you?


Leader Task 6: Be there when the going gets tough

Discussion Topics: Leaders need to look for opportunities to be there for their teams when the going gets tough and

the point of adversity. Being there means showing up for the team when they need it the most.

Leaders can be there for the team both physically and emotionally. Being there is about shared

sacrifice and moral support. Being there does not mean micromanaging, but a leader can provide

guidance, direction, and priorities. Leaders may not be the technical expert in certain areas as

their team member are. The leader can focus on things that can affect the team while allowing

them to stay focused on the problem.

It is important that leaders “keep their cool” when the going gets tough. People trust leaders that

can manage their emotions and stay calm in difficult situations.


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when their leaders are there when the going gets tough?

What are ways a leader can support the team physically? Emotionally?

Have your supervisors always been there when the going got tough?

How would you rate yourself on being there for your people when the going gets tough?


Leader Task 7: Talk about setbacks

Discussion Topics: Talking about setbacks helps people understand what happened and why it happened. Talking

about setbacks allows people to recover more quickly from challenges. When things go wrong,

team members need an outlet to vent their stress. Talking about setbacks can provide closure or

absolution if needed.

Sometimes referred to as an after-action review (AAR) or hot wash, talking about setbacks

usually includes the leader taking responsibility first for their actions or inaction. Talking about

setbacks with the team is not to blame someone, but as an opportunity for learning that can

prevent the same mistakes from happening again. Talking about the setbacks needs to be

discussed in a constructive dialogue and a psychologically safe environment with everyone’s

input from the beginning until the end of the experience.


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when their leaders talk about setbacks after they happen?

Have your supervisors always been willing to talk about setbacks?

How would you rate yourself at talking about setbacks with your team?

Videos


Simon Sinek: Why good leaders make you feel safe

Margaret Heffernan: Forget the pecking order at work

Christine Porath: Why being respectful to your coworkers is good for business

End of Lesson

https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe

https://www.ted.com/talks/margaret_heffernan_forget_the_pecking_order_at_work

https://www.ted.com/talks/christine_porath_why_being_respectful_to_your_coworkers_is_good_for_business


Provide Purpose

Leaders can provide an individual purpose in the workplace by encouraging individual learning,

training the team, delegating responsibility, empowering decision-making, keeping people

focused on the mission, and keeping the team informed. Motivation and commitment are the

consequences of having a purpose in the workplace. People that have a sense of purpose are

more resilient.

Required Knowledge:

Know the relationship between personal growth and purpose.

Know the relationship between purpose and motivation.

Know the relationship between purpose and commitment.

Know why encouraging individual learning provides purpose and builds collective resilience.

Know how to encourage individual learning.

Know why training the team provides purpose and builds collective resilience.

Know how to train the team.

Know why delegating responsibility provides purpose and builds collective resilience.

Know how to delegate responsibility.

Know why empowering decision-making provides purpose and builds collective resilience.

Know how to empower decision-making.

Know why keeping people focused on the mission provides purpose and builds collective

resilience.

Know how to keep people focused on the mission.

Know why keeping the team informed provides purpose and builds collective resilience.

Know how to keep the team informed.

Know why providing purpose builds resilience.

Know how to provide purpose.


Leader Task 1: Analyze individual purpose

Discussion Topics: Most people recognize that people do not work solely for money. Indeed, people are increasingly

questioning their purpose at work. People need more from their jobs than just a paycheck. Work

should provide feelings of value, accomplishment, and satisfaction. Without new realistic and

attainable goals or performance metrics, teams are not challenged to their potential and can

become complacent. Understanding how each person’s contribution affects the team’s

performance builds commitment and cohesion, not letting each other down.

Most importantly, work should provide growth opportunities. People feel a sense of purpose at

work when they are growing personally and professionally. People want to be challenged at

work. Learning more and doing more is what provides people with a sense of purpose in the

workplace.

Encouraging learning and delegating responsibility is even more powerful when people

understand how their efforts specifically support their mission. The mission is the purpose for

which the organization exists. Every team and person within the organization has a part in

accomplishing the mission, possibly through specific or implied tasks or duties. Showing people

how they fit into the “bigger picture” is essential and helps breakdown silos and builds cohesion

within the organization.


underlined terms.

Do you currently feel an individual sense of purpose at work?

Are you being challenged to learn more and take on more responsibility?

Why are people who have a sense of purpose at work more able to overcome challenges and then

adapt and grow due to the challenges?


Leader Task 2: Encourage individual learning

Discussion Topics: Leaders provide their people with a sense of purpose by encouraging learning in the workplace.

When people are learning new knowledge and skills, it supports their personal growth. Learning

about and understanding problems and solutions helps prepare their team when facing a similar

situation. People should be encouraged to become subject matter experts at their jobs.

Intellectual curiosity must be recognized and rewarded. Everyone should understand that

learning is the key to gaining more responsibility in the workplace.

Everyone has more to learn, especially leaders. Individual learning keeps the mind engaged.

Good leaders are always learning and teaching. Leaders should seek out learning opportunities

for themselves and their team. Leaders should establish individual learning goals for their team.

Learning goals should support both current performance objectives and expected future

responsibilities.

Learning should be continuous in the workplace. When the learning curve is high, individuals are

challenged. People tend to leave jobs when they are not being challenged. Constructive feedback

from leaders encourages more learning and better performance.

Self-directed learners take initiative and accept responsibility for their learning. They establish

their own learning goals and work toward their accomplishment. People that are proactive,

creative, open to new ideas, and eager to solve problems are more likely to be self-directed

learners.


underlined terms.

In your experience, why is it so important to encourage learning?

How does encouraging people to learn more help to provide them with a sense of purpose?

Have your supervisors always encouraged learning?

How do you encourage learning in the workplace?


Leader Task 3: Train the team

Discussion Topics: Training the team is about developing collective knowledge and skills. Team training is an

iterative process that occurs as team members interact and engage in collective tasks over time.

Training the team should be continuous and replicate the problems and challenges of the

workplace environment. The results of team training are assessed by monitoring changes in team

performance and behaviors. Team training increases individual and team learning; and should

always be followed by talking about setbacks and achievements.

Team training improves how the team works together to accomplish collective tasks, building

their task trust. Team training enhances communication and collaboration skills. Realistic team

training will build competence, confidence, and the ability to overcome challenges.


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when their leaders ensure that they are trained as a team?

Have your supervisors always trained their teams?

How would you rate yourself at training your team?


Leader Task 4: Delegate responsibility

Discussion Topics: Leaders can provide their people with a sense of purpose by delegating responsibility in the

workplace. Giving people responsibility provides opportunities for personal growth and feelings

of ownership. Most people want to feel a sense of ownership for helping to accomplish the

organization’s mission.

Delegating responsibility also allows leaders to maximize their productivity and focus on the

bigger picture. Delegating responsibility to future leaders is an essential component of leadership

training. As noted in the previous Leader Task, people leave jobs when it is no longer

challenging.

Leaders often have difficulty “letting go” of responsibilities that should be delegated because

they are afraid that subordinates will not get the job done right.

Trusting team members to get the work done is a show of respect. Leaders need to expect some

mistakes and ensure that people learn from those mistakes.

When leaders delegate responsibilities, they should be specific about their expectations. Leaders

must ensure that subordinates have the requisite knowledge, skills, and resources required for the

assigned responsibility.


underlined terms.

In your experience, why is it so important to delegate responsibility?

How does delegating responsibility to people help to provide them with a sense of purpose?

Have your supervisors always delegated responsibility?

How would you rate yourself at delegating responsibility to people?


Leader Task 5: Empower decision-making

Discussion Topics: When delegating responsibility, leaders should also delegate the authority to make decisions

relevant to the responsibility. Even though the leader is responsible for the decisions’ outcomes,

they should look for opportunities to empower decision-making.

Developing the team, building trust, knowing the priorities, and understanding the mission allow

the leader to empower team members' decision-making. Leaders should understand that people

will not always make the best decisions. However, they must be willing to accept mistakes made

in good faith. Mistakes are an opportunity for teaching and learning.

Empowering people to make decisions is a critical component of leader development. The leader

should develop their people to understand the team and its mission, vision, and leader’s intent.

Empowering people to make decisions builds their confidence to overcome challenges.


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when their leaders empower them to make decisions?

Have your supervisors always empowered people to make decisions?

How would you rate yourself at empowering people to make decisions?


Leader Task 6: Keep people focused on the mission

Discussion Topics: When problems and challenges arise, they can be distracting. Leaders need to keep themselves

and their people focused on the mission at hand.

Focusing on the mission means not second-guessing decisions made in good faith. However,

making decisions that are inconsistent with values creates cognitive dissonance and unnecessary

stress. Cognitive dissonance is the state of having inconsistent or conflicting thoughts, beliefs, or

attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change. Everyone on the

team must have a clear understanding of the mission and their role in its success. The mission

and purpose keep the team focused when facing challenges and solving problems, making them

more resilient.


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when their leaders keep them focused on the mission?

Have your supervisors always kept their teams focused on the mission?

How would you rate yourself at keeping your people focused on the mission?


Leader Task 7: Keep the team informed

Discussion Topics: Leaders should keep their teams informed by communicating often. Face-to-face communication

is best, and technology makes communication possible even for remote teams. Keeping people

informed provides transparency and empowers decision-making. Keeping people informed helps

overcome resistance to change.

People appreciate getting important news, good or bad, directly from their leaders, including

feedback on their performance. Not having information is stressful. Keeping people informed

provides opportunities for constructive two-way communication.

Keeping the team informed is a good investment of a leader’s time. Keeping the team informed

includes providing them with lots of “why” we are doing what we are doing. Leaders should

often ask themselves, what do I know, who needs to know it, and have I told them?


underlined terms.

Why are people more resilient when their leaders keep them informed?

Have your supervisors always kept you informed?

How would you rate yourself at keeping your team informed?

Videos


Emily Esfahani Smith: There’s more to life than being happy

Sebastian Junger: Why veterans miss war

End of the Exam Prep Training Course Lesson Material

https://www.ted.com/talks/emily_esfahani_smith_there_s_more_to_life_than_being_happy

https://www.ted.com/talks/sebastian_junger_why_veterans_miss_war

Resilience-Building Leader Program

Documents

Transcript of Resilience-Building Leader Program