Ep: 010 Leading Through Change: Cultivating Resilience in a Fast-Paced World

In our last episode, we explored the critical distinction between management and leadership and the importance of making the leadership leap to drive meaningful, transformative change. We delved into the mindset and practices of effective leadership from problem finding and empowerment to creating a compelling vision and modeling the change we seek to create.
Today, we're building on that foundation and tackling another crucial aspect of leadership in today's fast-paced, ever-changing world.

It's navigating change and cultivating resilience.

Because let's face it,

change is not just a constant in our organizations, in our lives.

It's an accelerating force that is reshaping everything

from the way we work and communicate

to the very fabric of our society and economy.

Let's get it.

Welcome to Bread to Lead,

the podcast that empowers you

to unleash your leadership potential

in making a lasting impact.

I am your host, Dr. Jake Taylor Jacobs,

and I'm on a mission to help you cultivate

the mindset and skills to lead with purpose,

authenticity, and heart.

As leaders, our ability to not just survive, but thrive in the face of change is absolutely critical. It's what allows us to adapt and innovate in the face of new challenges and opportunities, to bounce back from setbacks and failures, and to inspire and empower our teams to do the same.
But here's the thing. Navigating change and cultivating resilience is not just a matter of having the right strategies or tools.
It's about developing the right mindset and inner resources to meet change with courage, flexibility, and grace. It's about cultivating the mental, emotional, and spiritual capacity to lead ourselves and others through the inevitable ups and downs of growth and transformation.
And that's what we're here to explore today. Drawing on the latest research and insights from psychology and neuroscience and leadership studies, as well as the hard-won wisdom of change leaders and practitioners, we'll dive into the art and science of navigating change and cultivating resilience.
We'll look at the common challenges and pitfalls that leaders face in times of change, from resistance and uncertainty to burnout and overwhelm. We'll explore the key mindsets and practices that enables us to meet those challenges with agility, adaptability, and strength.
And we'll provide practical tools and strategies for developing resilience in ourselves, our teams, and our own lives so that we can not just weather the storms of change, but harness them for growth and transformation. So whether you're leading a major organizational transformation, navigating a personal or professional transition, or simply trying to keep up with the accelerating pace of change in our world, this episode is for you.
It's about developing the inner resources and outer skills to lead with clarity, conviction, and resilience in the face of uncertainty and adversity. And it's about empowering yourself and others not to just survive change, but to thrive in it.
But before we dive into the strategies and practices of resilient leadership, let's take a step back and define what we mean by change and resilience in the first place. Change in its simplest form is any significant alteration or transformation in the state or condition of something over time.
It can be positive or negative, planned or unexpected, incremental or radical. But whatever is form or magnitude, change is inevitable in an integral part of life.
From the cellular changes that occur that occurs in our bodies every moment to the social and technological changes that are reshaping our world. In context of leadership and organizations, change can take many forms, from shifts in strategy or structure to mergers and acquisitions to digital transformation and disruption.
It can be driven by external factors like market forces, technological advances, or social and political upheaval, or by internal factors like new leadership, culture shifts, or performance gaps. But whatever is driver or manifestations, change is rarely a smooth or linear process.
It often involves uncertainty, complexity, and resistance, both from ourselves and from others. It can challenge our assumptions, disrupt our routines and push us out of our own comfort zones.
It can invoke a range of emotional responses from excitement and anticipation to fear and anxiety to grief and loss. That's where resilience comes in.
Resilience is the capacity to adapt and bounce back in the face of adversity, stress or change. It's the ability to not just survive difficult experiences, but to learn and grow from them, to emerge stronger, wiser and more capable on the other side.
In psychological terms, resilience is often defined as a combination of three key factors, challenge, commitment, and control. Challenge refers to seeing change and adversity as an opportunity for growth and learning rather than as a threat or an obstacle.
Commitment refers to having a sense of purpose and meaning that motivates us to persevere through tough times. And control refers to believing that we have the ability to influence and shape our own circumstances rather than being at the mercy of external forces.
At its core, resilience is about developing the inner resources and outer skills to meet change with flexibility, adaptability and strength.

It's about cultivating the mindset and practices that enable us to bounce back from setbacks, learn from failures and thrive in the face of uncertainty and complexity.

And as the leaders, resilience is not just a nice to have quality.

It's an absolute necessity because change is not just something that happens to us as individuals. It's something that we are often called upon to lead and navigate for others.
Whether we're guiding our teams through a major organizational transformation, supporting our colleagues through a personal or professional transition, or simply trying to keep our own energy and focus

in the midst of constant change or ability to model and cultivate resilience is critical. But here's the thing.
Resilience is not just something that we either have or don't have. It's not a fixed trait or an innate quality.
Rather, it's a set of skills and practices that we can develop and strengthen over time through intentional effort and practice. And that's what we're going to focus on for the rest of this episode.
The key mindsets and practices that enable us to cultivate resilience in ourselves and others, drawing on research and insights from psychology, neuroscience, and leadership studies. We're going to touch these things.
Here are the five components we're going to touch.

Embracing a growth mindset, practicing self-awareness and self-regulation, cultivating connection and support, finding purpose and meaning and developing adaptability and flexibility. For each of these areas, we'll dive into the underlining principles and practices, provide practical tools and strategies for application and share real world examples and case studies of resilient leadership in action.
So let's get started with our first key area, embracing a growth mindset. If this is your first time listening to the podcast, let me tell you this right now.
I used to be a teacher by trade. So I will start to tell you when to start taking notes.
This is the moment that you take out a pen, take out a piece of paper and take notes or a moment that, you know, take because you're at work, you're driving, you can take notes. At what time did Dr.
Jake begin to give points so that you can go back, listen to it and write it down? Because the purpose of this podcast, it's not for you to just listen to being inspired and go off to your merry way. The purpose of this podcast is to give you applicable strategies and steps and tips and techniques that you can use today, tomorrow, the next second after you listen to the podcast.
So this is what I want you to do. In the meantime, while you're getting your pen and paper, if you have not received or do not know, to Lead, the book is out in stores, Amazon.
You go to Bread to Lead dot com, B-R-E-D, not bread that you eat, but bread that you train. Bread to Lead is on Amazon.
Bread to Lead is also at our site. Bread to Lead dot com, B-R-E-D to T-O-L-E-A-D dot com.
It's on the page. And if you did not know who this podcast is endorsed or sponsored or done for, it is for SIPPS healthcare solutions.
We are all things central store process in the healthcare space. We renovate, we change, we transform sterile processing departments all over the country.
This is something that we work with. We work with people.
We work with change transformation. We work with change, work with technology.
These are all the things that we do within our company. And we're pioneers of leadership traveling in a sterile processing department.
So if you're listening right now, you're in health care, you don't have a job, reach out to us. You can go to SipsConsults.com.
We can find opportunities in health care. If you're interested in getting into health care and you do not have all the stuff that you need for certification, we also would train you to.
And if you are interested in our SIPPS Leadership Institute for health care providers, for health care leaders, if you want to grow as a leader in the health care system, find out about our SIPPS Leadership Institute, which is coming soon, soon, soon, soon. If you ever want to get any or any first movers, tip bits, you need to listen to the podcast.
Now that you have your pen, you know about our book, you know about our company, you know what we do, you know the opportunities that we have. Let's go back and get to the tip.
Now, number one, embracing a growth mindset. One of the most fundamental shifts we can make as leaders to cultivate resilience is to embrace a growth mindset.

Coined by Stanford psychologist Carol Dwick A growth mindset is the belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed and expanded through effort, learning and persistence

In contrast, a fixed mindset is the belief that our ability and our intelligence are static and unchangeable, that we are either born with certain talents and capacities or we are not. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, give up easily in the face of obstacles and see effort as a sign of weakness or lack of ability.
But here's the thing. Research has shown that our mindset has a profound impact on our resilience and success, both in leadership and in life to study after study.
Individuals with a growth mindset have been found to achieve better outcomes in areas ranging from academic performance to professional enhancement to personal relationships. For an example, in one study, Dwick and her colleagues followed a group of seventh graders over the course of two years, tracking their academic performance and attitudes toward learning.
They found that students with a growth mindset, those who believe that their intelligence could be developed, significantly outperformed the fixed mindset peers, even when controlling for initial ability levels.

What's more The growth mindset students

Were more likely to take on challenging tasks

Persist in the face of setbacks

And bounce back from failures

They saw mistakes as obstacles

Not as indictments of their intelligence or worth

But as opportunities for learning and growth and as a result They were able to achieve a higher level of cultivate and cultivate greater resilience in the face of academic and personal challenges The same principles apply in the realm of leadership and organizational change.

Leaders with a growth mindset are more likely to embrace change as an opportunity for learning and development rather than a threat or disruption.

They are more willing to take risks, experiment with new approaches and learn from failures and setbacks, and they are better able to inspire and empower their teams to do the same. So how can we cultivate a growth mindset in ourselves and others? Here are a few key practices.
A, we're still in one. We're still in one.
This is just one A. One A, reframe challenges as opportunities.
That's what you got to do. When faced with difficult situation or obstacle, Take step back and ask yourself, what can I learn from this experience? How can I use this challenge to grow and develop as a leader by reframing challenges as opportunities for learning and growth? We can shift our mindset from one of fear and avoidance to one of curiosity and engagement.

One B, embrace failures as feedback. In a growth mindset, failure is not a reflection of our intelligence or worth.
It's simply feedback on what we need to learn and improve. When we experience a setback or failure, rather than beating ourselves up or giving up, we can ask, what can I learn from this experience? What do I need to do differently next time? By embracing failure as feedback, we can use it as a springboard for growth and resilience.
Let me pause here parenthetically for a second. If you ever find yourself around people that continue to use your past failures as a platform to look down on you,

disregard anything that they say. If you're surrounded around amongst people who use what

you failed at in the past as a way to stab against you and you allow that to change how you feel about

yourself emotionally. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You need to change that immediately. Here's why.
This is what I learned. The moment I took the sting away from people trying to make me look bad because of certain failures that I've had, when I took that sting away and when I failed, I saw that it was a way for me to learn and grow and develop.
It absolutely it makes it makes them look real crazy when they say, oh, yeah, but you failed at this. Of course I did.
And it's still outproduced anything that you put to the table. I remember when my company went through this weird time before I joined Sips, my firm that I founded, I started.
We lost like $4.5 million in 45 days because of a bad partnership. And I overlooked a bunch of red flags and it almost collapsed the company.
We had to revamp, change a whole lot of stuff because we were a debt-free company. We were cash heavy, reserve heavy.
So that hit us bad. And so what I found was that a lot of people who didn't achieve half of what I percent of what I've done in my early age of leadership and growth and building businesses.
Those were the ones that were using like these little pitchforks to poke at me about mistakes or what I should have done or what I couldn't have done. And one thing that's pointed out to me, my mentor said, if they could have done it, they would have did it.
And if they would have did it, they would never ridicule you. Because what happened to you has happened to every great businessman or woman that's crossed this planet.
See, those that are wanting and they understand the cost that it takes to take a risk and do something great. They understand that with great risk comes great failure, but great learning opportunities right after.
If they are being a stickler of the things that you've done wrong, that you fixed and they stay in that world, keep them there and don't bring them back. Because you have to learn how to embrace failure as feedback.
If you truly want to see yourself succeed as a leader. Listen, I will fail at something.
I will look and say, yep, it didn't work. Let's try again.
Because what I cannot afford is for my self-confidence and my belief in myself to be diminished because someone who was scared to risk it or who never have been in my shoes before, it's easy for them to give advice from the stands. Here's another example.
It's easy to tell an NBA basketball team and a coach what they should have done on the court when you're a coach for Little League, you struggle at the Little League level and they're winning on a big league level. So sometimes you also have to consider the source of your criticism.
If you consider the source of your criticism, it'll definitely help you mitigate the emotions that are stirring up inside of you that will end up changing your environment. Your emotional state controls your environment.
So you have to celebrate learning.

You have to be thankful to God that you made mistakes that you've learned.

Because think about your life now.

The decisions that you make are not from the successes that you had.

They're from the failures that you had in your life that help guide you in the decisions that you make today.

Okay.

Always remember that.

1C.

Cultivate a love of learning. A growth mindset is fundamentally about the love of learning, a curiosity and passion for expanding our knowledge and skills.
Let me, Donnie, our CEO here, she got me like these cute socks, right? And it's not the socks. That's cool.
What's cool is that the socks have books on it, but what's written on the bottom of the feet. It says so many books, so little time.
Anyone that knows me knows that Dr. Jake loves to read.
I listen to audio books. I listen to podcasts.
I watch YouTube videos. I get in extra courses.
I read extra books. There's so I'm always trying to cultivate this love of learning to love something to cultivate.
You have to do it often and understand how much more value it brings to you and how many more lessons that you can now have in your repertoire. And more moves that you have as a leader because of your knowledge to be able to grow.
If you do not fall in love with learning, you're not ever going to fall in love with leading. 1D, celebrate effort and progress.
In a growth mindset, effort and progress are just as important as outcomes and achievement. As leaders, we can reinforce this mindset by celebrating and acknowledging the hard work and the incremental improvements of our teams.
Rather than just focusing on the end results by valuing and recognizing effort and progress, we can create a culture of continuous learning and development. Embracing a growth mindset is not always easy, especially in a world that often values and rewards fixed traits like talent and intelligence.
But by intentionally cultivating the practices and habits of growth mindset, we can develop greater resilience and adaptability in the face of change and uncertainty. And we can inspire and empower our teams to do the same.
Listen, I remember growing up and playing basketball and feeling like I was so far behind because all of my little natural attributes came last. So I had to actually learn the game of basketball.
All of my friends that can jump high, that were super fast, that just had these innate abilities that took a while for my body to develop into. Everywhere they heard, they were great.
They were amazing. There's nothing you could do.
There's nobody could stop you. You're going to be doing all these great things.
But by the time my body caught up to me learning and training, I blew past everyone that was considered to be better than me when we were younger. Why? Because that person was never put in any fire that challenged them to make them get better.
Well, my father taught me every day what I did wrong. Their father told him every day what they did right and never talked about the wrong.
What does that force now that creates them to be in an environment to where any time they get critique or criticism, it crushes their confidence.

And my dad built me on the failures. So if somebody gave me criticism, it didn't hurt me because he taught me how to learn from my mistakes.

And if somebody beat me up, I'm always asking, what can I do better so I can continuously learn and grow as a leader? You have to adopt that same mentality. Somebody gives you kudos.
Now immediately reset that and say, what can we do to get better? I want to get better. I'm not telling you not to celebrate your successes.
I'm telling you to understand that with every form of success, there are areas you can get better to develop to become a better leader for your team, for your family, for yourself and for the world. Number two, write it down.
Practicing self-awareness and self-regulation. I just talked to my team today about this.
Another key area of resilient leadership is practicing self-awareness and self-regulation. Self-awareness refers to the ability to accurately perceive and understand our own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, as well as their impact on others.
Self-regulation refers to the ability to manage and control our own responses and reactions, particularly in the face of stress or adversity. OK, together, self-awareness and self-regulation

Form the foundation of emotional intelligence

The ability to recognize and manage our own emotions

If you are an emotional person

You probably lack emotional intelligence

Because emotional intelligence teaches us

That when you regulate your emotions

You control the room

It's a very interesting thing. Then you probably lack emotional intelligence because emotional intelligence teaches us that when you regulate your emotions, you control the room.
If you lead with your emotions and your emotions cause you to make decisions, have shouting matches or already form a thought. If you're forming a thought about a person, an opportunity, a position, a leader through emotions, that will let you know that your EQ is not as high.
Because logically, logically, you have to control the emotions that you have. And I literally just talked about this today with my team.
And I'm actually going to break down to you what emotions the root word is. The root word of emotion means to move out, to move away, to remove, to stare up, to irritate.
So when I'm emotional, when I'm emotional, I'm staring up, I'm moving out. I have strong feelings towards something.
I'm stirring up my environment in my world that could cause and effect anything else that's positively moving forward. So control the type of emotions you want to display and you can control your environment that you're creating.
For an example, there was a study that was done by the consulting firm Korn Ferry and they found that leaders with high levels of emotional intelligence were more likely to be successful in navigating organizational change and achieving business results. They were able to communicate vision and purpose, build trust and rapport with their teams and manage emotional and psychological impacts of change on themselves and others.
On the flip side, leaders who lack self-awareness and self-regulation are more likely to experience burnout, stress, and ineffectiveness in the face of change. They may react impulsively or defensively to challenges or setbacks.
They may alienate, demotivate their teams, and struggle to maintain focus and resilience over time. So how can we cultivate self-awareness and self-regulation as leaders? Here are a few practices.
Number one, this is number two. A sorry to a practice mindfulness and reflection.
Write that down. Practice mindfulness and reflection.
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment with curiosity, openness and non-judgment. By regularly taking time to pause and reflect on our thoughts, emotions and experiences, we can develop greater self-awareness and insight.
This can be as simple as taking a few deep breaths before a difficult conversation or as structured as a daily meditation or journaling practice. 2B, seek feedback and input from others.
Self-awareness is not just about introspection, which is inside. It's also about understanding how others perceive and experience us.
As leaders, we can cultivate self-awareness by actively seeking feedback and input from our teams, colleagues and stakeholders. This can evolve formal 360 degree assessments as well as informal check ins and conversations by being open to feedback and willing to learn and grow.

We can expand our self-understanding and adaptability.

Too many people lean on introspection to determine if they're being, if they have EQ or not, emotional intelligence. But you need to ask around you because these are the people that are affected by how you allow your emotions to take advantage of you.
And 2C, identify and manage triggers and stressors. Self-regulation is about managing our own responses and reactions Particularly in the face of stress and adversity To do this effectively, we need to be aware of our own triggers and stressors The situations, people, or experiences that tend to push our buttons or throws our balance By identifying these triggers and developing strategies to manage them OK, we can improve our ability to stay calm and focus in challenging situations.
Take a deep breath, reframe and seek support to navigate it. And 2D, practice self-care and stress management.
Self-regulation is not just about managing our reactions in the moment. It's about proactively taking care of ourselves and managing our stress levels over time.
As leaders, it's essential that we prioritize self-care practices like regular exercise, healthy eating, sufficient sleep, and time for hobbies and relationships. By investing in our own wellbeing and resilience, we can show up more fully and effectively for our teams and organizations.

Let me tell you something. Everybody, if you're a leader and you're a producer, everybody's problem is an emergency.

If you are a leader and a producer, everybody's problem is an emergency.

So don't get caught up in that. You have to regulate your emotions.

I know you want to help, but you cannot help and save everybody Okay, you have to practice boundaries Self-care stress management because those are the things that will help you last longer Leadership is a stressful practice practice It's a stressful profession If you do not get a grip on your leadership and ability to control your emotions and to control your stress levels to stay constant, you always have hard ups and downs. You guys know all the stories that we hear about amazing leaders and amazing business practitioners and amazing organizational leaders that end up having heart attacks and stressed out and eat bad and all these things because we don't control.

We don't set boundaries and don't control our own stress levels. Number three, cultivating connection and support.
That is the third key area of resilient leadership, cultivating connection and support. Write it down as human beings.
We are wired for connection, y'all, for the sense of belonging, validation, and care that comes from being part of a supportive community. And research has shown that social support is one of the most powerful predicators of resilience and wellbeing, both in times of stress and in everyday life here's an example there's a study done at harvard school of public health it found that people with strong social connections had 50 percent lower risk of premature death than those with weak connections they also had lower rates of anxiety depression cognitive decline in higher levels of self esteemesteem, empathy and cooperation.
And the context of leadership and change, cultivating connection and support is about creating a sense of psychological safety. There goes that word again and belonging for ourselves in our teams.
It's about building trust and report, fostering open communication and collaboration and providing the emotional and practical support that people need to navigate the challenges and uncertainties of change. So how can we cultivate connections and support as leaders? Here's a few key practices.
3A, build trust and psychological safety. In every podcast, I feel like episode in this podcast, Bread to Lead, I feel like we talk about psychological safety.

Psychological safety refers to the belief that one can speak up, take risks and be vulnerable without fear of negative consequences. It's the foundation of trust and connection in any team or organization.
As leaders, we can cultivate psychological safety by modeling openness and vulnerability, encouraging diverse perspectives and ideas and creating a culture of learning and experimentation. Three B, foster open communication and collaboration.
Connection and support thrive in environment of open communication and collaboration. As leaders, we can foster this environment by regularly checking in with our teams, encouraging feedback and input, and creating opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
By breaking down silos and promoting a sense of shared purpose and identity, we can build stronger, more resilient teams. C, 3C, provide emotional and practical support.

I'm so sick of these corporate settings where y'all, we act like people are not human beings, like emotion or having that support for emotion.

It can't be can't be at the facility.

It can't be on site and people have to suppress their feelings and their emotions and don't get to communicate it out, which is what happens when it goes a big bang. OK, so emotional intelligence says if I am able to give them a place for us to communicate about feelings, emotions, facts and truths before a blow up, the odds of there ever been a blow up is actually slimmer to them.
Navigating change and uncertainty can be emotionally and practically challenging for individuals and teams.

As leaders, we can provide support by actively listening and validating people's experiences by offering resources and accommodations as needed and creating space for self-care and stress management. By showing genuine care and concern for people's well-being, we can build trust and loyalty and foster a sense of shared commitment to the journey ahead.
And 3D, cultivate a network of mentors and peers. Lord, if you could do bad all by yourself, you would have got it done.
If you could do bad all by yourself, you will already be where you want to be. You

can't do it alone. As leaders, it's essential that we have our own source of connection and support, both within and outside of organizations.
By cultivating a network of mentors and coaches and peers who can offer guidance, perspective, and encouragement, we can build our own resilience and adaptability in the face of change.

This can involve joining professional associations, practice participating in leadership development programs or simply reaching out to colleagues and friends for advice and support. Cultivating connection and support is not always easy, particularly in a world that often values independence and self-sufficiency.

It requires vulnerability, empathy,

and willingness to ask for and offer help.

By intentionally building a culture of trust,

collaboration, and care,

we can create a sense of shared resilience and purpose

that enables us to navigate

even the most challenging changes and transitions.

Y'all, when I lost all that money, $4.5 million cash, not opportunity. I was crying.
My stomach went to my butt area. And my brain was in my stomach.
I felt like I was the worst leader and business owner this side of heaven. And then I paid for a mentorship.
It cost me $30,000 for one hour, the best money I've ever invested. He ended up giving me like four hours and paying for me to go courtside, or it's probably his seats, a courtside to watch Utah Jazz and the Lakers.
But what he told me was crazy. He said, Dr.
J, you have a goal of this much, right? I said, yes. He said, do you know what it takes to get here? I said, no, I've never been.
He said, these kind of losses, because I guarantee you never make that loss again. I said, that's right.
he said try try losing 40 million a couple of months ago

then complain to me about your 4 million

he runs a hedge fund

half a billion dollar hedge fund. And that put things into perspective for me.
Our mentality, fears, thoughts of failure, feelings of inadequacy are only privy to our current experiences. So in order for you to actually know if you're on the right page or not, it's for you to talk to people who have already been there, done that, to let you know if this is a part of the routine or if you're completely off.
I told him what went on. I told him how it transpired.
I told him the loss. I told him the oversight, the undersight, the risk parameters I had in place, a couple of adjustments I could have made if I had the experience, but I didn't have the experience.
And I didn't have people like him in my circle at the time. I felt like there was nothing I could do to lose.
And that was a hard, critical loss that woke me up. But it's not something that hasn't been done before.
You know what happens when you actually meet people that's been there where you've been, done what you've done, trained over 15,000 people, led organizations in the hundreds, built amazing companies from scratch. You know what you can learn from people like that? Everything you haven't experienced.
So when you have a problem, you can actually call them and they can process with you and let you think about all the effects that could happen versus what could happen. So when you do make that risk, you already are prepared for the consequences that come with it.
There's nothing worse than getting hit in the face with a consequence that you did not see coming. I'm okay with taking the loss as long as I was able to realize or see that loss could be a potential, that risk could be a potential loss.
And it happens that way, I'm fine because I know I prepare for it. That's why mentorship and peers are important.
That's why if you're in healthcare, you should join SIPPS Leadership Institute, where you can talk with peers that are all on a journey of leadership in different capacities. Number four, the fourth key area in resilient leadership is finding purpose and meaning.
Number four, write it down, finding purpose and meaning. Purpose refers to the sense of direction, significance, and contribution that we derive from our work and our lives.
It's the answer to the question, why do I do what I do? What difference do I want to make in the world? Research has shown that a strong sense of purpose is associated with a range of positive outcomes, including greater resilience, well-being, and performance. For an example, a study by the consulting firm Imperative found that purpose oriented employees were 54 percent more likely to stay with their company for more than five years and 30 percent more likely to be high performers.
So what does that mean? That means that in the context of leadership and change, finding purpose and meaning is about connecting our own sense of values and aspirations with the larger mission and impact of our organization. It's about finding the deeper why behind the work we do.
I tell people all the time, you can always figure out how and what to do, but why and when to do it is different. And using that why as a source of motivation.

Your why doesn't have to be like my children.

Like, no, your why can really be something

that's just you.

Nobody has control to tell you

what your why is supposed to be but you.

Why are you there?

What impact that you want to make?

Studies have also shown that people

who actually care about making an impact

with where they are

actually see more growth, development,

and opportunities for advancement

career and money wise than people that are just there to do the job.

If you're there, you might as well find purpose of why you're there.

What are you learning?

There's so many people that I even talk to that want to be entrepreneurs that worked

in corporate America.

And I'm like, what did you learn from corporate America?

Man, I was there.

I hated being there.

You're so focused on hating being at work that you don't get the paid training that you get for being on a job. You don't get, you don't become a leader when you get promoted to a leadership role.
You are a leader before you get promoted. My mentor told me this and I probably already told you guys this too.
Before I made my million, he said, you become a millionaire before you make a million. because money is just currency.
It's energy. It flows to who whoever can hold it So if you're not a millionaire already it's going to even if you make it is going to dissipate away from you I said, oh So how do I become a millionaire? I walk like when I talk like when I act like one How do I become a leader? I walk like when I talk like when I act like when I process like when my integrity is like one, my development is like one, my commitment to change and learning is like one.

And I and I and I operate with purpose.

So people ask, why did you if your company is doing so well, why did you join SIPs?

Because I don't move because my company is doing well financially.

I move when there's purpose.

When I can change something.

I can be a part of creating something that can innovate in industry.

Do you know what happens when we innovate?

The central store process in industry?

How many more lives will be saved that we can get this, these equipment and these instruments to these doctors the right way?

How many more hospitals can stay open?

How many more families don't have to worry about anyone dying because of an infection? All of these things are important. 4A, write it down.
Clarify your values and priorities. Purpose starts with a clear understanding of our own values and priorities, the beliefs, principles, and aspirations that guide our choices and actions.
As leaders, we can cultivate this understanding through reflection, journaling and value assessments, as well as through conversations with trusted mentors and peers. By getting clear on what matters most to us, we can make more purposeful and aligned decisions in our work and our lives.
4B, connect your work to a larger mission. Stop just going to work just to do the job.
Think about what larger mission can you be a part of. Purpose is not just about personal fulfillment.
It's also about contributing to something larger than ourselves. As leaders, we can find greater meaning and motivation by connecting our day-to-day work to the larger mission and impact of our organizations.
This can involve regularly communicating the vision and values of the organization, highlighting the positive differences that our products, our services, our initiatives make in the world and celebrating the achievements and milestones along the way. Connecting your work to a large miss is important.
So as a leader, it is your job to make sure that your team understands the larger mission and are realistic about it. And you as a growing leader, always connect yourself to the larger mission.
It will keep you fully focused there to get the most out of your opportunities. I see too many people take advantage of opportunities by not going all the way in.
4C, find opportunities for growth and development.

Purpose is often tied to a sense of learning, growth, and mastery.

The feeling that we are developing our skills and capabilities

in service of something meaningful.

As leaders, we can cultivate this sense of growth and development

by seeking out new challenges and opportunities,

investing in our own learning and development,

and supporting growth and development of our teams.

You have to invest into your own education and growth

Thank you. seeking out new challenges and opportunities, investing in our own learning and development and supporting growth and development of our teams.
You have to invest into your own education and growth, both personally and through your industry, as well as your teams. There's so many organizations that want people to be cookie cutter ready for leadership roles, but don't have enough money to pay a leader.
You want a team full of leaders, but don't have the cap to pay a team full of leaders. So that's why that development track is important.
Investing in their education, investing into their development. So through time, through their growth, through their value that they're bringing to organization, the organization can save more money or make more money, which a lot more budget to actually pay them to have all those leaders in place.
You can't expect to have an organization full of leaders, but not a budget to have it. So there has to be some type of leadership development track.
4D, reframe challenges as opportunities. We already said this earlier.
Reframe them. My challenge, my failure is an opportunity.
This obstacle is something I will conquer. Maybe not today.
I may be getting my butt whipped tomorrow, but eventually I will have this this obstacles number. And when I do, oh, you better believe it.
I'm going to showboat my butt off. Let this obstacle know you ain't got nothing on me.
What do they say? New level, new devils. What does that simply mean? A new obstacle.
That's it, Dodo. Nothing big.
There's going to be something that you go against that you've never experienced before. How can you beat something that you've never experienced before that has been on that level the whole time? think about it now think about the expectations we put on ourselves to beat an obstacle on a on a new level that we've never seen How crazy is that? That's why scripture says that we should consider it joy to go through trials and tribulations Because it's the trials and tribulations that endures our faith How can what is faith to believe is already there and work as if it's already done? I believe that my goals my dreams are already there waiting on me I'm going to work today as if it's already done that's faith that my goals, my dreams are already there waiting on me.
I'm going to work today as if it's already done. That's faith.
How do you know that? Because you have to know it exists. How do you know it exists? By knowing that whatever you're going through, whatever troubles and trials and tribulations that you're facing, you will get through it.
It's just a matter of time for you to figure out that level. So stop putting so much on yourself when you don't even understand the level.
And the fifth one, our fifth and final key area of resilient leadership, developing adaptability and flexibility. Adaptability refers to the ability to adjust and modify our approaches, strategies and behaviors in response to changing circumstances and demands.
Flexibility refers to the willingness and ability to pivot and change course when needed, rather than rigidly adhering to predetermined plan or path. In today's fast-paced, complex, and uncertain world, adaptability and flexibility are essential skills for leaders at all levels.

The challenges and opportunities we face are constantly evolving and the strategies and solutions that worked in the past may not be effective in the future. To navigate this landscape successfully, we need to be able to learn, grow and adapt on an ongoing basis.
Let me tell you a small tidbit I've learned. if something in the past used to work really well and you're starting to see it doesn't work

as effectively or efficiently anymore. That's the time you invest into learning what new ways can you innovate what you used to do.
People wait until what used to work now flatlines to make adjustments. And now you're panicking.
Now you're now you're stressed out. Now everything is more than than it has to be the moment that you see that whatever strategy that you've been using is not working as effectively anymore you need to be investing like hew hockey sticks in research and development and training to find how to make the thing work in a new way don't wait until the last minute sucky now i am saying his words suck Don't wait until the last minute.
Sucky. Now I am saying his words, sucky leaders.
Wait until the last minute to make adjustments and adapt, which is why our organizations always fall flat on his face. Once I see change changing, I got a rule.
Y'all know my rule. When facts change, so do I.
Yes, it worked last year. It ain't working this year.
We need something else now. Pronto stat.
OK, so there was research. There's some research that has been shown.
That adaptability and flexibility are key predicators of resilience and success, both in leadership and in life. For an example, there's a study by the Center of, it was the Center for Creative Leadership, found that most successful leaders were those who were able to adapt their leadership style and approach to fit the need and demands of different situations and contexts.
They were able to flex between different modes of leadership, such as directing, coaching, supporting, and and delegating based on the readiness and capabilities of a team. You should not be leading the same way every time.
There are some times in in in our in our business journey, in our organizational journey where I am a dictator. We're moving in this capacity because we don't have enough time for me to get your thoughts and your concerns from your perspective, especially when I know that you're not training, you're not reading, you're not developing as much as me.
We don't have time. I don't have time to take in your ideas when I know that they're just off of emotions with no facts based.
Now, when we up, we got some cushion. We're out of a tough time.
It's clear skies.

I'm open to taking perspectives and teaching and coaching and throwing it back at them. But when we have to get some stuff done, I don't take any outside advice from people that haven't done it.
I don't. Why? Because it's too much of a risk variation to take ideas and emotions and thoughts and perspective from people that aren't as bought in in to the opportunity, to the organization, to the mission of the system, or the institution as much as you are.
So me taking advice from a part-time person in their mind, they're full-time physically, but they're part-time in their mind. Me taking advice or taking in critique from them, it takes too much information.
It's too draining. And my team know in certain areas, I'm not asking your advice.
I'm telling you what's going on. In other areas, I'm more open.
It just depends on what's going on. It just depends.
So here's how we can cultivate adaptability and flexibility as a leader. One, this is 5A, 5A, write it down.
Embrace learning mindset. Didn't I say that earlier? Embrace, continue learning.
If you're ever comfortable and feel like you shouldn't be learning or reading anymore, you're already dying as a leader.

I can tell the quality of the leadership based on how fast they pick up new stuff.

Because when you're learning all the time, the list, the, the, the, your brain's elasticity.

I think that's how you say it. If you're listening, that ain't how you say it.
Just just type it somewhere. But your brain's elastic ability to be able to maneuver in and stretch is determined based on how you often you stretch it.
Just think about your body. Right.
If you flex all the time, you'll be flexible. But if you don't, if you don't stretch all the time, you're not going to be flexible.
So when you have to stretch, it's going to hurt really bad. So what your body actually is capable of doing, you can't do because you don't practice doing it.
So it makes you stiff and rigid, which makes everything else break down. The more stiff and rigid you are as a leader, the harder it is going to be to lead during times that require you to be flexible.
It requires it. Five B practice scenario planning and contingency thinking.
I tell people all the time, you build your organization on everything bad happening, not everything good. Why? Because everybody plans for the good to happen and never the bad.
But what always happens more than a good?

Bad.

So when I'm building my organization, I'm building my leadership track.

I'm building my career plan.

I'm investing in my team.

I invest.

I'm investing in the people.

The question that I have for myself is, guess what, y'all?

What is the worst that can happen?

And can I stomach it?

Me investing $5,000 into this person and then after they get the training, they leave. Can I stomach that? Well, it just depends.
If I invest this much money, what am I putting in place? What contingencies am I putting in place that they leave too soon? They pay me that back. Or can I get them to work more while they're getting the training so that we get the benefit of the training as they're taking a training versus after they finish.
These are things that you are contingent on. The growth of the company.
Okay. When I'm talking about the growth of the company, I want to grow the company.
What's the worst that can happen with us putting money up for marketing, branding, dah, dah, dah. Okay.
When I assess the worst that can happen, can I stomach it? And are we strong enough to continue to do what else we're doing?

That's what contingency thinking is.

You're already thinking of solving the problems that may come up, taking advice from people that's been in your seat.

What are some things that came up with you? Putting contingency plans in place that keeps your mind active and thriving.

Think about some of the greatest warriors where it didn't start war, didn't start planning for war when a war happened.

The most greatest warriors always kept their mind in war so that when war happened is just practice. Just practice.
Five C foster a culture of experimentation and learning. We talking about this, y'all.
We repeating the same stuff. Guess what? Create a culture where within reason makes sense let them let them go through trial and error it's fine 5d cultivate diverse perspectives and networks building with colleagues and peers and mentors with diverse perspectives and networks but the same climb the successes.
Those are what give you diversity. Diversity is not just color.
Diversity is perspective, environment, successes, industries, departments. That's diversity.
So you want to surround yourself with diverse thinking, diverse thought, diverse people, diverse languages, just in the way people communicate. I have some friends or colleagues that communicate and only use big words.
I think it's crazy. Just like I got some friends that only talk in slang.
I think that's crazy. And they all are successful.
They all run multimillion dollar organizations. But me grabbing from everybody now puts me in a space that I can communicate with anyone that's within my organization.
Cultivating that diverse perspective is key as a leader and not being so rigid in that helps you with that. So as we come to the end of this deep dive into navigating change and cultivating resilience, I want to leave you with a few final thoughts.
First, remember that resilience is not about avoiding or resisting change.

It's about developing the inner resources

and outer skills to meet change with courage,

flexibility, and grace.

It's about cultivating the mindset and practices

that enable us to bounce back from setbacks,

learn from failures,

and thrive in the face of uncertainty and complexity.

Secondly, remember that resilience is not a solo endeavor.

It's a team sport. As leaders, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to create cultures and environments that support resilience and well-being for ourselves as well as our team members.
by modeling and encouraging practices like growth mindset, self-awareness, connection, purpose, adaptability.

We can foster a sense of shared resilience and strength in the face of change. And finally, remember that resilience is not a fixed trait or a one time achievement.
It's an ongoing practice in a lifetime, a lifelong journey. Just like any skill or muscle, resilience requires regular exercise and development to maintain and grow over time by committing to the practices and principles we explore today.
And by seeking out ongoing support and growth, we can continue to cultivate our resilience and leadership capacity in service of our teams, organizations and our own well-being and fulfillment. As the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus famously said, change is the only constant in life.
As leaders, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to meet that constant change with resilience, courage, and grace, to develop the inner resources and outer skills to navigate uncertainty and complexity with clarity and conviction and to inspire and empower others to do the same. So as you step forward into your own leadership journey, I invite you to embrace the practices and principles of resilient leadership to cultivate a growth mindset, self-awareness, connection, purpose and adaptability in your own life and work.
And to remember that your resilience and leadership are not just about you. They're about the impact influence you have on the lives in the world around you.
And as the poet Maya Angelou once said, I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it. May you meet these changes and challenges ahead with the same spirit of resilience, growth and transformation.
And may you lead yourself and others to do the same no matter what the future holds. Thank you for joining me on this exploration of navigating change and cultivating resilience.
It's an honor to be on this leadership journey with you. And I'm inspired by your commitment to growth, impact and and resilience.
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Share them with me.
Find me on LinkedIn. Hit me up on IG, Jake Taylor Jacobs, J-A-K-E-T-A-Y-L-E-R, J-A-C-O-B-S.
On LinkedIn at Dr. Jake Taylor Jacobs.
On Instagram, it's just Jake Taylor Jacobs. You can share this podcast.
Share with anyone, share this episode and visit us at www.bred2lead.com to get access to the book, as well as the rest of our podcast and information that we have coming up. And if you are a leader in the health care space, look forward to our SIPPS Leadership Institute, where we're going to be building you up to be the best leader you could be within a healthcare space.
And if you are looking to get into healthcare, reach out to SipsConsults.com. We have information on there at the site.
You can reach out to us so you can figure out how to get in healthcare, how to change your career, and what certifications that you need that we provide that you don't have to go back to school for to get in healthcare. If you want a deeper dive into these principles, follow me on all platforms, go and get the book because this podcast is just an extended conversation based on our newest book, Bread to Lead.
Okay. Until next time, keep leading with courage, compassion, and resilience.
The world needs more leaders like you now more than ever. And together we can navigate the challenges and changes and create a future of

growth, impact, and possibility for all. This is your host, Dr.
Jake Taylor Jacobs. I love you.

There's absolutely nothing to do about it. Peace!