Is resilience a compliment?

2 min read · March 22, 2024
New Power Labs

Tl;dr: Three steps leaders can take to adapt how we think about resilience, to account for biases and the resulting disparities. 

Resilience traditionally means the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties or toughness.

Many view resilience as a universally positive trait. We often romanticize the notion that the ability to endure and bounce back from adversity is always admirable. Thus, underrepresented leaders and communities often find themselves celebrated for their grit and resilience. 

Yet, this shifts the focus away from the efforts they put into navigating complex issues, dismantling barriers, and driving meaningful change. The assumption that hardships automatically create a 'thick skin' can lead to othering, and create a situation where necessary support is not given.

Advocating for change in systems entrenched with historical biases and inequalities requires a delicate balance. Underrepresented leaders often feel the need to voice their perspectives forcefully enough to effect change, while avoiding being perceived as overly emotional or aggressive.

How do we create spaces that help diverse leaders thrive instead of depending on their resilience? 

Dr. Simran Jeet Singh’s article from the Harvard Business Review outlines three steps leaders can take to adapt how we think about resilience, to account for biases and the resulting disparities. 

1. Develop a clear understanding of what true resilience is and what it isn’t.
   Resilience is about thriving, not surviving. Most likely we can survive bias at work. Thriving is different – it is about the quality of the workplace environment, the trust among team members, and the support systems in place.

2. Consider how shared challenges impact people differently.
   We should not assume that people from diverse backgrounds have higher levels of resilience just because of their identity. Getting rid of this assumption allows us to understand the barriers and address them effectively. 

3. Don’t use perceived, individual resilience to deflect real, systemic problems.
   The onus should not be on the individual to manage the problem. How might we remove the barriers diverse leaders face, and unlock the resources they need?

It is important that we don’t dismiss the value of resilience, but rather recognize the opportunity for a more nuanced understanding and approach towards it.

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