Take Five #37 - Boosting Your Resilience Quotient w/ Natasha D’Souza

About the session:

The coronavirus crisis - and the resulting economic upheaval - has forced organizations around the world to focus on building organizational resilience. But what about personal resilience? Entrepreneurs are often considered amongst the most resilient group of people in society. But the pressures of sustaining and growing a successful business in addition to the omnipresent tension of these unprecedented times, can take a toll on our sense of self-worth, optimism and our ability to bounce back. In this session, Natasha D'Souza, a journalist and speaker, will share her findings on cultivating resilience and how to build this as a practice in your life. 

About the speaker:

Natasha D'Souza is an independent business journalist, strategist and speaker based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A former strategy and investor relations professional with a 15 year career spanning the US and the Middle East; she reports on the interplay between business, technology and culture in fast-moving Asian markets. She has interviewed some of the foremost business and creative minds of our time: from former CEO of Pepsi and Apple - John Sculley- to international best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell to one of the most powerful women in Indian business - Vani Kola; along with several government leaders, industry titans and visionary entrepreneurs worldwide. Natasha regularly shares her insights with audiences worldwide as a speaker and moderator. Her talks both illuminate the future of work, business and leadership and how institutions and individuals can build resilience and authentically stand out and succeed in this future. 

Five key takeaways:

1. Resilience is a life skill - much like public speaking and negotiation - but unlike other life skills, this is a skill that you can count on even in the absence of all others. Invest in building it.
2. Don't let adversity go to waste. It's often the ONLY time to build your resilience chops.
3. Reframe your response to stress and fear so you can rise above "fight or flight" mode and enter resilience-building mode.
4. You can be resilient even on "bad days" and even if you don't have a clear vision or have your next move planned to perfection.
5. Know your resilience "resume."