What I Learned This Week: Emotional Resilience

I spent two days this week with a group of awe-inspiring literacy coaches and mathematics coaches learning about emotional resilience. Our collaboration was led by Laura Gleisner. 

Our time together was devoted to:

• defining emotional resilience
• considering and developing our own emotional resilience
• learning some coaching techniques to develop the emotional resilience of others

One group's graphic representation of emotional resilience - strength of the body, heart, and mind.

I am still enchanted by the magic that happened when so many knowledgeable, compassionate leaders collaborated around such an important topic. The part of the learning that is occupying my mind today, however, is about saying no.

What do we think of ourselves when we say no?

What do we think of others when they say no?

What do we think of ourselves when we say yes?

What do we think of others when they say yes?

But also:

What do we think of others when they don't say yes?

What do we think of others when they don't say no?

Our ability to say no (and our choice to say yes) is connected to our emotional resilience, and how we respond to the yes or no of our colleagues is connected to building emotional resilience within our organization.