In a culture that glorifies grit but often punishes vulnerability, resilience has become both a buzzword and a blind spot. We tend to think of resilience as something we either have or don’t—an inborn trait rather than an intentional practice. But what if resilience is actually a strategy, one that can be designed, developed, and sustained over time?
Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier—known as “MH”—is a psychologist, executive coach, and award-winning author of The Resilience Plan. MH bridges the worlds of clinical psychology and corporate leadership, helping professionals build resilience not just to survive stress, but to grow stronger through it. She explains how leaders can plan for resilience as deliberately as they plan for business success—and how small, strategic actions can protect both performance and mental health.
Context matters — Many people assume they’re resilient because they’ve handled adversity before. But MH warns against “using old data to inform new reality.” Circumstances, demands, and resources change—so your approach to resilience must evolve too.
Plan for resilience the way you plan for strategy — Just as a business develops a strategic plan before launching a product, individuals should create a resilience plan. MH suggests asking: What are my values? What demands am I facing? What are my sources of supply and support?
Resilience thrives in connection — Resilience is not an individual sport. Leaders can build team resilience by normalizing the conversation, modeling healthy behaviors, and fostering psychological safety so team members can speak openly about workload and stress.
Audit your assumptions. Reflect on whether you’ve been treating resilience as a fixed trait. Where might that belief be preventing you from taking proactive steps?
Model resilience for your team. At your next meeting, share one thing you’re doing to maintain your own resilience. Invite your team to think about theirs. Small disclosures normalize well-being conversations.
Prepare for adversity together. With your family or team, talk about how you’ll handle future stress or setbacks. Planning ahead builds collective confidence—and shared resilience.
