Are you a resilient person? You can be.

Since March, life has looked much different than what we're accustomed. Remote learning. Canceled conferences. In-person events shifted to streaming solutions. And that's just the education component. Life moves on, and those who thrive will have a level of resiliency.

Resilience is not something you are born with, said researcher Marcus Buckingham. It's a skill you can improve upon.

One of several speakers at this year's virtual Global Leadership Summit, Buckingham's talk focused on new research around the topic of resilience -- or as some may refer to it, grit and perseverance.

In a study of 25,000 workers from 25 countries, 10 statements emerged that help shine a light on why some people are more resilient than others and how an individual, team leader or senior executive can take steps to improve this learned trait.

The statements include the following:

1. I have all the freedom I need to decide how to get my work done.

2. No matter what else is going on around me, I can stay focused on getting my work done.

3. In the last week, I have felt excited to work every day.

4. I always believe that things are going to work out for the best.

5. My team leader tells me what I need to know before I need to know it.

6. I trust my team leader.

7. I am encouraged to take risks.

8. Senior leaders are one step ahead of events.

9. Senior leaders always do what they say they are going to do.

10. I completely trust my company's senior leaders.

Buckingham broke the statements down into one of three categories. The first four deal with self. Questions 5-7 focus on the team leader. And questions 8-10 deal with behaviors of senior leaders.

Senior leaders

For senior leaders, vivid foresight is necessary. Individuals fear the unknown, but Buckingham noted that senior leaders "traffic in the unknown." These are the individuals charting a path forward. If the senior leader can paint a picture of what the future looks like, individuals are far more likely to follow. Tell the stories. Highlight what's around the corner, who the company will serve and what they need. Doing so builds confidence among workers.

Not only is it important for a senior leader to talk about what they're doing, but follow-through is vital. Buckingham said worker confidence bleeds when senior leaders fail at follow through. He added that senior leaders should pick a few things to pursue, follow through and then shine a spotlight on them. Every item won't touch all workers, but identify something that will affect one group of workers and pursue it.

Team leaders

Anticipatory communication is a key area for team leaders. It's less about big group meetings and more geared toward frequent check-ins with employees. Buckingham pointed to two questions that team leaders should ask: What are your priorities this week and how can I help?

It's not about feedback on past performance. Instead, consider frequent touch points on the short-term future. He suggested team leaders meet with each person on the team for 15 minutes, once a week. Doing so creates a culture of information sharing even before the other person needs to know it.

"Frequency of check-in creates resilience," Buckingham said.

Second for team leaders is providing psychological safety. Workers need to know they can take risks and not fear of being cut off at the knees, Buckingham said. Have a willingness to experiment and try. Doing so, particularly during the rapidly changing times of a pandemic, is vital.

Individuals

Buckingham said individuals will feel resilient when they understand what areas they can control. What are the rhythms and routines that build our productivity? He noted that during the pandemic some of the natural rhythms -- like the commute from home to the office -- have disappeared. Creating new rhythms that foster a series of sprints is important. Example: Work hard for a period of time then take a break. He used the analogy of one year being a series of 52 sprints.

Compartmentalization is similarly important. We run in multiple lanes. Buckingham said a resilient person realizes that dealing with a disgruntled customer is only one lane. They don't let one challenge or disappointment affect the other lanes.

Lastly, identify and traffic -- at least 20% of the time -- in your strengths. Buckingham pointed to research from the Mayo Clinic that says if an individual spends 20% of their working life operating in their strengths, burnout decreases.

You'll find a few examples of resilience in the new edition of B Magazine. From teachers who are finding new ways to communicate to an entertainment venue beginning a new way of show delivery to learning from a panel of female entrepreneurs. It's worth considering the lessons of resiliency. Pandemic or not, it's a trait we all need in our personal and professional lives.

Lucas Presson is assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian and publisher of B Magazine. Presson wrote the following column for the Oct. 23 edition of B Magazine, a regional business publication produced by the Southeast Missourian and rustmedia. To receive the print edition delivered to your home or office, visit bmagazine.io to subscribe. Copies are also available on area newsstands.