Since 2020, we all have experienced unprecedented changes in our work and personal lives, and our resilience has been tested more than ever. University leaders in higher education are facing multiple levels of stress due to a confluence of factors, including budget constraints, the threat of federal research funding cuts, a hiring freeze, organizational transitions, and potential staff cutbacks. At the same time, complex issues related to immigration, non-discrimination, and the values we hold in supporting an inclusive and equitable work environment are being tested. These external factors impact both leader and employee well-being. When faced with dynamic and ongoing challenges, leaders must effectively navigate and guide during these complex situations. Effective navigation requires strong leadership focused on vision, goals, teamwork, and adaptability. This includes managing change and building resistance.

What is Resilience?

An article published in April 2023 by The Center for Creative Leadership states that resilience is our ability to respond adaptively to challenges. A resilient leader is one who demonstrates the ability to see failures as minor setbacks with tenacity and turn challenges into opportunities. In difficult times, your team is looking to you for support and courage; to set the direction and build alignment and commitment. If you practice resilient leadership, you project a positive outlook that will help others gain the strength that they need to commit to a shared vision and the courage to move forward. 

Change is related to the external and environmental situations that we experience. Transition is what each person goes through internally and is individually related to current stressors and how they managed past changes and losses. Personal and professional changes are continuous, simultaneous, and interconnected. Leaders must first be self-aware of their own emotions during these challenging times so they may self-regulate and manage their internal state, impulses, resources, and boundaries. 

In 2024, 43% of adults said that they felt more anxious than they did the previous year, according to an American Psychiatric Association poll. “That’s because stress convinces us that we can’t reach our goals,” says Dr. Adyta Nerurkar, a Harvard physician. When you feel a sense of stress, your amygdala, the part of your brain that helps you process emotions, is on “high alert,” she says. “It is thinking about survival and self-preservation. By design, your amygdala is focused on your immediate needs. What do I need to do in the immediate term to feel safe and secure again?” That means the part of your brain that is used for goal-setting, called your prefrontal cortex, is being overpowered by this survivalist mindset, which makes it hard to exercise any critical thinking skills. “When you’re feeling a sense of stress, that inner critic, that berating voice, has you say to yourself, ‘What’s the matter with me?’” she says. All you have to do is set a manageable goal. Instead of asking yourself, “What’s the matter with me?” ask, “What matters most to me?” she says.

To shift from a survival mode into a higher executive functioning mode, focus on what motivates you. This will help enhance your resilience. Pick a goal that has strong motivations behind it. Let’s say that you want to participate in a professional development program because you are interested in future advancements. The skill and abilities gained would be your motivation. 

• Objective: The goal should have a metric by which you can measure your success; i.e. attend all required courses to complete the program and record your progress.
• Small: The goal should be “small enough to virtually guarantee success,” Nerurkar says.
• Timely: You should be able to reach your goal within a two to three-month period. “It takes eight weeks to form a habit,” Nerurkar says. This time frame gives you enough room to make a mistake, slip up, and then recommit yourself to the goal. “Falling off and getting back on is part of habit formation,” she says. 

Tackling even the smallest accomplishment can boost your confidence, reduce your stress, and reset your mind to a place of positivity.

Resilient Leadership

The Center for Creative Leadership has developed a framework for more resilient leadership. The 4 Core Areas of Resilient Leadership involve leaders incorporating the body, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. 

• Physical resilience is the body's capacity to respond to stressors with strength and stamina.
• Mental resilience is the ability to maintain and regain cognitive capacities that allow creativity to emerge.
• Emotional resilience centers on understanding and appreciating emotions, and consciously choosing feelings and responses rather than simply automatically reacting to the evident.
• Social resilience reflects an individual's capacity to work with others to ensure and recover from stressors.

The Mayo Clinic identifies eight key practices that can help leaders cultivate resilience:

1. Increasing physical activity: Engaging in regular activity improves overall health and well-being, which can enhance a leader’s capacity to handle stress and adversity.
2. Getting enough sleep is crucial for cognitive, emotional, and physical health. Establishing healthy sleep habits, such as a consistent sleep schedule and a relaxing bedtime routine, can improve sleep quality.
3. Boosting mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment, which can help reduce stress and improve focus. Practice meditation and deep breathing exercises.
4. Challenging assumptions: Resilient leaders are aware of their own biases and assumptions and are willing to question them, especially when facing challenges. This allows for the ability to see a broader perspective when making decisions.
5. Savoring the sweet things: Take time to appreciate positive experiences, both big and small. This could involve reflecting on enjoyable moments and celebrating the small wins.
6. Practicing gratitude: Focusing on what you are grateful for can shift your perspective towards the positive aspects of life. Keep a gratitude journal.
7. Building social connections: Nurturing relationships with loved ones, colleagues, and friends can enhance resilience.
8. Seeking professional help: When facing significant challenges or setbacks, seeking guidance from mental health professionals can provide valuable support and strategies.

Leading with Resilience at UCLA

Many leaders have expressed feeling mounting stress when they receive system-wide or campus emails with updated information about changes.

Some tips and tools from some UCLA leaders include:

1. Taking the time to understand the message fully, distilling the most relevant information to their team, and providing additional context.
2. Discussing the emails in individual employee meetings and in staff meetings; creating a safe space for dialogue and questions.
3. Trying to be an anchor to the team by focusing on the UCLA True Bruin values, i.e., Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Service, and the vision of UCLA and your specific department.
4. Leading with empathy.

Kara Ronin, Leadership Coach, states that Empathy is the #1 most important Leadership Skill. She discussed three keys to communicating empathy:

1. Be curious: Cultivate a genuine desire to understand others by asking questions.
2. Practice active listening: Listen attentively to others, showing genuine interest in their perspective.
3. Show understanding: Acknowledge and validate the feelings of others, demonstrating that you hear them.

During these challenging times, it is important to practice self-compassion, which is being gentle with yourself like you would a friend. Dr. Kristin Neff has defined self-compassion as being composed of three components.

1. Mindfulness: Be mindful of what is bothering you.
2. Self-kindness: Tell yourself positive affirmations.
3. Common humanity: Realize that you are not alone.

By incorporating these strategies, leaders can enhance their ability to adapt to change and to thrive in the face of adversity as we move forward as “One UCLA” and face the challenges ahead. 

The UCLA Staff & Faculty Counseling Center (SFCC) provides unlimited, confidential consultation, coaching, and support to leaders during these challenging times, focusing on human behavior in the workplace. Call the SFCC main number at 310-794-0245 to schedule a leader consultation appointment. The SFCC hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am-5 pm. The sessions are held through HIPAA-compliant Zoom meetings or phone calls.
 

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