Harvard Business Review Everyday Emotional Intelligence

CHAPTER 22

Cultivate Resilience in Tough Times

A summary of the full-length HBR article “How Resilience Works” by Diane Coutu, highlighting key ideas and examples

Idea in Brief

Resilient people possess three defining characteristics:

• They coolly accept the harsh realities facing them.
• They find meaning in terrible times.
• They have an uncanny ability to improvise, making do with whatever’s at hand.

Fortunately, you can learn to be resilient. To cultivate resilience, apply these practices.

Face Down Reality

Instead of slipping into denial to cope with hardship, take a sober, down-to-earth view of the reality of your situation. You’ll prepare yourself to act in ways that enable you to endure—training yourself to survive before the fact.

Example: ...