“If we are to remedy the epidemic of moral relativism and stem the tide of scandals such as Madoff, Enron, and WorldCom, we must recreate many of the beliefs that defined our society. Drawing on the text in this chapter, here simply stated are eight attitudes for resilient leadership.”

An excerpt from “The Secrets of Resilient Leadership – When Failure is Not an Option”, from CISMbooks

By: George S. Everly, Jr., PhD, ABPP, CCISM, Douglas A. Strouse, PhD, George S. Everly, III, JD, MBA

Eight Attitudes for Resilient Leadership (Excerpt from The Secrets to Resilient Leadership)

1. How you reach the end matters as much, if not more, than the end you ultimately reach.
2. Your legacy isn’t built on what you acquire in life, but by what you leave behind. As Pericles said, “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
3. Arnold Horshack, a character from the television sitcom Welcome Back Kotter, is believed to have said, “Winning is nice if you don’t lose your integrity in the process.” Remember that those who win soon forget the victory, but those who lose never forget the defeat.
4. If it looks like it’s wrong, feels like it’s wrong, and you need excuses for why you did it, it’s probably wrong. Therefore, don’t do it.
5. As Thomas Paine said, “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.” Similarly, Elie Wiesel said, “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
6. Taking responsibility for your actions when things haven’t turned out well is a sign of strength and integrity.
7. If you give your word, keep it. Promises don’t have expiration dates.
8. Learn from your successes. Seek to repeat them. Learn from your mistakes. Be better because of them, not in spite of them.

The Secrets of Resilient Leadership is a truly unique guide for leaders on how to create an organizational culture of resilience that can turn adversity into opportunity. The book introduces the reader to the four core pillars of crisis leadership and explains in clear language how to develop them.  To purchase this book, visit the https://cismbookstore.com/.

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To learn more about increasing your resiliency, consider taking ICISF’s Resilient Leadership for Emergency Services & Healthcare Professions course through either our Virtual Training or Asynchronous Online Course programs.

Listen to the ICISF Podcast Series as we speak with ICISF Co-Founder Dr. George Everly about Resilient Leadership in our CISM Live Series.

Listen to the ICISF Podcast Series as we speak with Dr. Stephanie Conn on how to cope with stressors and traumas for first responders and peer support teams in our CISM Live Series.

If you’re looking for additional free and paid downloadable resources, visit our Crisis Resource Library for PDF’s such as “Methods to Maintain and Enhance Resilience” and so many more.  You can also view the ICISF App on your mobile web browser for resources on self care, wellness and other crisis intervention topics.