|
A flexible container impinged upon by an outside force will change shape temporarily, but will spring back to its previous configuration shortly thereafter. It is resilient. According to the laws of physics, resilience is the ability to demonstrate the quality of elasticity. Though some individuals have the inborn capacity to bounce back from adversity, others develop it through confidence, self-efficacy, flexibility and optimism. In today's stressful and rapidly changing world, resiliency is a must.
Highly resilient people are best suited for a world of constant change. They don't fight against disruptive change because they adjust to new situations quickly. They accept change and deal with it. Resilient people's flexibility and adaptability lets them adjust their responses to achieve positive outcomes in new situations.
Nelson Mandela, the first President of the post-apartheid Republic of South Africa, after serving 27 years as a political prisoner in South African jails, befriended and forgave those who had imprisoned and even tortured him. He earned the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993 for ensuring a peaceful transition from minority to democratic rule in new South Africa. According to the resilient Nelson Mandela, "The greatest glory of living, lies not in never falling, but in rising after every fall."
Salvatore Maddi and Deborah Khoshaba conducted a twelve-year study beginning 1975 of Illinois Bell Telephone (IBT) employees who experienced continual organizational change. They evaluated supervisors, managers and decision-makers with annual interviews, psychological tests, medical examinations and work-performance reviews. During the project period, the deregulation of the telecommunications industry experienced a number of upheavals and turmoil. While it had adverse effects on two third of employees, one-third of the employees "survived and thrived despite the stressful changes," according to the authors. |
