So you think you know resilience?

There are many lists out there describing the qualities required to be a leader and a CIO, and in this post I’d like to highlight one that pops up a bit and that is resilience.  Resilience is that quality that allows you to deal with change and setbacks, to get back up after you’ve been knocked down.

Below is a TED talk given at TEDx Byron Bay 2013, by a woman named Ingrid Poulson.  Although the video is nearly 17 minutes long I highly recommend watching this video.  This losses that Ingrid has experienced are heartbreaking, yet she has managed to move on with her life and uses her experiences to help others.  I believe that anyone watching who has not seen this before will learn something regarding resilience.

I lost my father earlier this year due to Parkinson ’s disease, less than three weeks after the birth of our third child, about a month after I’d started studying for my master’s degree, while at work I was performing the role of two people due to someone in my team leaving and not being replaced.  I was having a hard time coping, yet it pales in comparison to Ingrid’s story.

Finally, I know this may not mean much to non-German speakers (of which I am one), but below is a song by one of my favourite bands: Die Toten Hosen.  The song is ‘Steh auf, wenn du am Boden bist’ which in English translates to ‘Stand up when you’re down’.  It’s a great song about resilience that I find inspiring when I listen to it.  You can find a rough translation of the lyrics here.

Please feel free to add comments below regarding Ingrid's story or share any other inspiring stories of resilience.