Resilience building has a hidden cost

By introducing this focus on developing ourselves into “happy”, “positive” leaders one could argue that we are merely buoying ourselves away from, and in effect delaying, what is inevitable – the call to deal with the reality of our current state of play.

‘Anyone in a leadership role in the NHS right now is likely to be feeling squeezed’

Anyone in a leadership role in the NHS right now is likely to be feeling squeezed – whether it is conflicting priorities, pressures to deliver, the need to respond to external bodies, or staying steady in the daily toil of a busy, demanding work environment.

We frequently hear “this is the busiest time yet”, or “it’s never been as demanding as it is now”, and “at this current time, this maybe so”.

Whether it is or not, clinical and non-clinical leaders have an important role to play in the delivery and future shape of the NHS – and they are the steady statesmen/women on whose “watch” the NHS currently is. 

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The art of being resilient

In recent years, there has been much in the way of specific leadership qualities, and one currently prevalent is “resilience” – not organisational resilience and critical planning, but the resilience of the leaders themselves during this time.

There are toolkits, programmes, masterclasses, and articles on the topic – but is this “just the ticket” or are we missing something?

Take a look at what is often on offer within these articles or toolkits, and you will find: “have no fear”, “getting to peak performance”, “develop a mind of steel or an unbeatable mind”, “join the elite with gold medal strategies”, “courage to stand tall”, “mental toughness is the stuff of champions”, “hold yourself together, be gutsy”.

‘There is a hidden price to pay for this gutsy, fearless front’

And all of this within an NHS that is striving for a culture of compassionate care.

Listen to the chatter of NHS leaders and you may find that there is a hidden price to pay for this gutsy, fearless front:

• you push further and harder in extremely long working hours in order to deliver in excessively short timescales;
• you experience emotional outbursts (by some);
• feel vulnerable and fragile, yet carry a fear that to show this will risk being seen as weak and pathetic, or even unemployable;
• understandably you may develop a fear of speaking up or expressing concerns or feelings;
• sleep and appetite problems;
• exhibit an increasingly tired and weary face; and
• live with a starvation of compassionate care for yourself.

We know that we can find it hard enough to express concerns in some work environments – for example, a BBC article says: “Finding it hard to speak up in front of senior colleagues - even when it’s a matter of life or death - is something that can get in the way of openly pointing out errors. Even with teams who work very closely, like the crew on an aeroplane, junior staff have been known to keep quiet in an emergency rather than question the actions of a pilot.”

Let alone expressing our own sensitivities, and vulnerabilities to our colleagues and leaders.

At the other end of the scale, an alternative to the “stiff upper lip” stoicism aforementioned, are the programmes and articles of recent years that have increasingly focused on strategies to “develop a positive mindset” and “be happy”, as evidenced in the incorporation of Michael Fordyce’s Happiness Programme work in some NHS initiatives.

But is this move to balance the “hard” with the “soft” the way forward for effective leadership in the health service?

By introducing this focus on developing ourselves into “happy”, “positive” leaders one could argue that we are merely buoying ourselves away from, and in effect delaying, what is inevitable – the call to deal with the reality of our current state of play.

As the modern day philosopher Serge Benhayon astutely observes, in the end perhaps even this softer, happy approach serves the developing leader no better than toughening up – “optimism: choosing not to feel what is really going on.”

Sensitivity matters

Given the NHS is awash with resilience building exercises and the promotion of this culture of stoicism, does mental toughness, or having a positive mindset actually work in these environments? Or is there another way?

Is there a way that may initially seem counterintuitive given the current culture within not only the NHS but broader society?

We propose that the way forth is one that does not follow this drive to be evermore resilient, but instead is far more supportive of developing a culture of compassionate care based on the acceptance of “sensitivity” as one of our greatest strengths.

‘Sensitivity is synonymous with being capable of feeling or having awareness’

When sensitivity – the ability to feel – is known, by its true definition as being synonymous with being capable of feeling, or having “awareness”, as opposed to the dominant view whereby someone who admits to “feeling” is judged as a person of weakness, then we have within all of us a fundamental component of understanding in relationships.

It is the development of this quality inherent in us all – the sensitivity to feel, that underpins the depth of our awareness in relationships, and that is the seed of true power in leadership, where truly understanding people is at the heart of a successful leader.

It is also the foundation of compassionate care.

Sara Williams is a complementary health clinic director and principal practitioner of universal medicine therapies; and Dr Jane Keep is a hospital manager in the NHS and senior lecturer at Birmingham University