Building Resilience In Engineering Teams

I recently coached a team leader who had hit a wall. Great instincts, strong vision—but every mistake felt personal. Every critique, a threat. Every missed target, a question of worth. He didn’t need more strategy. He needed to step away from some unexamined narratives stuck on repeat, and... He needed a new "Mantra Playlist" with greatest hits like: -I am not finished. I am forming. -Growth begins where comfort ends. -Struggle is the work. -I choose formation over perfection. -Failure is not final, it's formative. -Curiosity keeps me moving. -Effort shapes what talent cannot. -Progress is slower (and deeper) than it looks. -Who I’m becoming matters more than what I achieve. -Resilience is built, not born. That’s the core of a Growth Mindset. It’s not about faking positivity. It’s not about glossing over failure. It IS about rewiring your perspective (and brain) toward curiosity, learning, and development. And science spells out the payoff: -Teams that adopt growth mindset cultures see higher innovation rates and adaptability (Dweck, Harvard Business Review) -Leaders who model learning over perfection build psychological safety—the #1 predictor of high-performing teams (Google Project Aristotle) Growth Mindset isn’t a posture. It’s a system of belief that shapes resilience. The leaders and teams that endure? They don’t just chase wins. They rewire for formation: "always be learning." 📌 Where are you (or your team) being invited to grow—without needing to get it right the first time? #growthmindset #leadershipdevelopment #groundedandgrowing #formation #learningculture #resilience #leadershiphabits

"I'm doing everything I can to protect my team." A leader I was coaching recently told me this. I understand the instinct. Leaders often feel they must shield their teams from uncertainty, layoffs, or tough realities. But here’s the thing—your team isn’t a group of children. They are professionals. Capable individuals. And your role as a leader isn’t to protect them. It’s to prepare them. The heroic leader who absorbs all burdens often sets their team up for failure. When the hard truth finally hits, they’re unprepared. Instead, leadership is about building resilience: 1) Share reality, not fear. Instead of hiding difficult truths, communicate openly and help your team navigate challenges together. 2) Build capacity, not comfort. Guide your team in developing problem-solving skills, adaptability, and self-efficacy. The goal isn’t to remove obstacles but to help them climb over them. 3) Balance care with accountability. Support is crucial, but real leadership encourages ownership. Guide them, but don’t carry them. Think of it like parenting—you don’t just protect your kids from harm; you teach them how to handle it. Leadership works the same way.  Human behavior is human growth at every age.. Because at the end of the day, your job is not just leading the work or org.  Your job is building more leaders. So, what’s your approach? Are you shielding your team, or preparing them to stand strong? #Leadership #ResilientTeams #LeadWithPurpose #FutureLeaders #CoachingMatters

Your "resilient" team might just be a group of burned-out people afraid to quit. Hustle culture isn't human culture. We've glorified resilience to the point of delusion and totally redefined it to fit a hyper-individual, cowboy narrative. ✖️ We celebrate teams who "push through" under pressure. ✖️ We reward people for "doing more with less." ✖️ We post mantras like "tough times don't last, tough teams do." But here's the truth I've learned working with traumatized organizations: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Work trauma without acknowledgement is social gaslighting and institutional betrayal. If your team "survived the storm"...(layoffs, scandals, mergers) 𝟭. 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 -Have candid conversations about what was sacrificed -Acknowledge the personal toll on health, relationships, and wellbeing -Honor that survival is not the same as thriving 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 -Create safe spaces for people to share their genuine experiences -Look for signs of burnout that persist beyond the crisis -Evaluate if your culture rewards unhealthy sacrifice over sustainable output 𝟯. 𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 -Establish clear boundaries between crisis management and normal operations -Create recovery periods that match the intensity of what was endured -Develop early warning systems to prevent future storms from becoming catastrophic 𝟰. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 -Shift from "pushing through" to "responding wisely" -Measure success by sustainable outcomes, not heroic efforts -Value the courage to set limits as much as the willingness to stretch -True resilience isn't about enduring more—it's about building systems that require less endurance in the first place. ________________________________________________________________ Join us for our 5th Trauma-informed & Team Resilience cohort facilitated with Heliana Ramirez, Ph.D., L.I.S.W. (former senior researcher at the VA, and work trauma expert). Link in comments.

Leadership feels harder every year. Change keeps coming faster. Resilience isn’t optional anymore. It's transforming how leaders drive performance in turbulent times. From navigating disruption to inspiring teams, resilience empowers leaders to adapt, stay focused, and deliver results. Here are 11 ways leaders can integrate resilience into their strategies: 1/ Reframe Setbacks as Growth → Views failures as learning opportunities → Shifts team focus from blame to innovation 💡 Pro Tip: Host a 15-minute post-setback debrief to pinpoint one lesson and one next step. 2/ Master Emotional Regulation → Uses mindfulness to stay calm under pressure → Reduces reactive decisions by 25% 💡 Pro Tip: Practice 5-minute daily breathing or journaling to sharpen focus before big calls. 3/ Build a Support Network → Leverages mentors and peers for perspective → Doubles performance under stress 💡 Pro Tip: Schedule monthly coffee chats with a mentor to tackle challenges. 4/ Prioritize Self-Care → Models healthy habits to combat burnout → Boosts team engagement by 20% 💡 Pro Tip: Block 30 minutes daily for a walk or reading, and encourage your team to follow. 5/ Foster Psychological Safety → Creates space for risk-taking and ideas → Increases innovation by 25% 💡 Pro Tip: Kick off meetings with, “No idea is too bold. What’s your take?” and acknowledge all input. 6/ Adapt to Change Fast → Pivots quickly to market or tech shifts → Drives 30% higher team productivity 💡 Pro Tip: Streamline one team process this quarter with a new tool and track results. 7/ Communicate Transparently → Shares clear updates during crises → Cuts turnover by 20% in tough times 💡 Pro Tip: Send daily emails during a crisis outlining what’s known and next steps. 8/ Empower Team Problem-Solving → Delegates to build team capacity → Improves outcomes by 15% 💡 Pro Tip: Assign a small project to a team member with clear goals and autonomy. 9/ Lean on Data for Clarity → Uses metrics to cut through chaos → Reduces errors by 18% in high-stakes settings 💡 Pro Tip: Compile 2-3 key metrics before decisions and share the logic with your team. 10/ Keep a Long-Term Vision → Aligns teams with a clear big picture → Boosts goal attainment by 22% 💡 Pro Tip: Craft a one-sentence 2025 vision and share it at your next all-hands. 11/ Celebrate Small Wins → Recognizes victories to build momentum → Increases motivation by 28% 💡 Pro Tip: Start weekly meetings with a 2-minute shout-out for a team win tied to goals. As disruption accelerates (up 183% since 2019), resilience is a leadership must-have. By embracing these 11 strategies, you’ll not only boost performance but also inspire your team to thrive under pressure. Which of these are you leveraging? ------- Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gtkveAmJ ♻️ Repost if your network needs to see this. Follow Carolyn Healey for more leadership content.

Resilience in teams is more important than ever. Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about resilience—whether from my students in the classroom or clients in the field. Everyone’s asking the same thing: How do we keep our teams strong and adaptable when everything is changing so quickly? It reminds me of 2008, when I had to close one of my four restaurants during the economic downturn. It was a tough call, but keeping the other businesses running smoothly and focused was key to weathering the storm. That experience taught me the four pillars of team resilience, and they’ve been my go-to guide ever since. Here's how they can help you lead through turbulent times.👇 1️⃣ Adaptability Teams that iterate fast outperform rigid ones by up to 30% in volatile markets (McKinsey). • Run small experiments and treat “failures” as data. • Re-align goals whenever new info hits the table. 2️⃣ Supportive Relationships Psychological safety is rocket fuel for innovation. • Host regular “ask-me-anything” huddles so people know you’ve got their back. • Practice active listening—no multitasking. 3️⃣ Shared Purpose A common mission turns rough seas into rally cries. • Show each person how their role moves the needle. • Co-create goals; ownership beats compliance. 4️⃣ Continuous Learning Growth-mindset teams absorb shocks and come out stronger. • Budget time and money for upskilling. • Make feedback loops routine—peer shadowing, micro-lessons, post-mortems. Your turn: ➡️ Which pillar is your team already nailing, and which needs a boost? Drop one action you’ll take this week to fortify the weaker pillar. Want the full playbook (with real-world cases and examples)? Grab my Coursera course with Starweaver “Building Resilient Teams” here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gisNVxRK Let’s build teams that don’t just survive storms—they harness them. #LIPostingDayApril #Leadership #TeamResilience #ContinuousLearning