Bianka is a Dramatherapist and Systemic Leadership Consultant with extensive experience in empowering female leaders through innovative therapeutic techniques and leadership strategies. She created bravely.B to support female leaders navigating the complexities of menopause effectively and maintain their leadership edge.
Professional resilience is one of those buzzwords that seems to crop up everywhere, peppered throughout leadership training, written into self-help books, and advocated at every motivational seminar. But what does it actually mean? For many female leaders, resilience can feel like an expectation to “push through” or “stay strong,” as though carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders is a badge of honour.
In reality, resilience isn’t about being a lone warrior. True professional resilience is about understanding and utilising the resources around us. It’s about building an ecosystem that supports us, one that allows us to not just withstand stress but also recover and thrive.
And yes, self-care plays a part in this, but let’s be honest: bubble baths, gratitude and meditation apps alone won’t save us from a packed calendar, back-to-back meetings, and the gnawing feeling that the laundry pile at home is plotting a coup. So, let’s dig a little deeper into a creative approach to resilience, one that goes beyond scented candles and gratitude journals.
Redefining professional resilience
In this context, resilience is the ability to recover from work-related stress, adapt to challenges, and thrive in our professional environments. It’s about creating a personal system of support and strategy that aligns with our values, goals, and, let’s face it, realistic bandwidth.
But let’s not oversimplify it. Resilience isn’t just about surviving or bouncing back to a baseline of just about coping; it’s about learning, evolving, and leaning into our authentic leadership styles, even when we’re navigating significant challenges like difficult life experiences or organisational change.
Meet your internal board of trustees
One of the most powerful tools I use as a leader and consultant is the concept of the Internal Resilience Board of Trustees. Think of this as your personal steering committee, an imaginary (but very real in their influence) group of individuals who guide, challenge, and support you. Just like a charitable Board of Trustees is entrusted with the well-being of an organisation, your Internal Resilience Board of Trustees are entrusted with keeping you accountable to yourself, placing your well-being and resilience at the heart of your professional practice.
Who’s on the board?
Here’s who could be on your initial internal board:
The inspirer: Who has inspired you professionally? Maybe it’s a mentor, a boss, or even a thought leader you admire. Their voice can remind you of your potential when self-doubt creeps in.
The challenger: Who has constructively pushed you to grow? This person encourages you to think critically and see situations from a new perspective.
The cheerleader: Who is the one that always lifts you up? Their voice adds positivity and balance when things feel heavy.
The grounded realist: Who tells it like it is? This person helps you stay focused on what really matters without sugarcoating the truth.
The visionary: Who inspires you to think big? Their voice reminds you to dream and take risks when you’re feeling stuck.
These roles don’t need to be filled by people you currently interact with; they might be figures from your past, authors, or even historical leaders whose wisdom you value.
The roles might evolve over time as well. Perhaps you need to have some lightness and humour in your life and therefore someone on your internal board of trustees to remind you of that. Check-in with your board of resilience trustees to make sure they reflect your needs.
How to use them
Your board isn’t just for show, and it’s an internal working group. Reflect on their voices when making decisions or facing challenges. If you’re feeling stuck, take time to imagine what advice they’d offer or even write down a message they would give you. AI can even help simulate these conversations (though I promise not to take offense if you prefer GPT to your actual mentors).
You can also complement your internal board with external support, like a coach, therapist, or mentor who adds an extra layer of accountability and growth to your journey.
Unplug to plug in
Another key component of professional resilience is the ability to unplug mentally, emotionally, and digitally. Leaders are often on-call 24/7, whether it’s responding to emails at midnight or mentally working through challenges and tasks wide awake at 2 am.
Unplugging is about creating deliberate breaks to recharge. Whether that’s a screen-free hour on a Sunday, a quick walk during lunch, or even a playful creative activity like painting or dancing, these moments of disconnection are critical to maintaining resilience.
Leadership resilience during menopause
Working with and writing about female leaders it would be remiss of me to ignore the elephant in the room when it comes to addressing challenges specifically affecting women. So, let’s take a moment to talk about Menopause. For female leaders navigating menopause, resilience takes on a unique layer. As I’ve explored in previous articles, hormonal changes can wreak havoc on cognitive function, emotional regulation, and physical stamina.
But here’s the flip side: menopause is also a powerful teacher. Symptoms like brain fog, for example, might highlight areas where systems or processes need more attention. Hot flushes during back-to-back meetings could signal a need to rethink how you schedule your day. In essence, menopause can serve as a built-in BS detector, helping you prioritise what truly matters.
Leaders who navigate this phase successfully often demonstrate extraordinary resilience, not because they’ve ignored their symptoms but because they’ve learned to integrate them into their leadership style.
The bigger picture
Resilience isn’t just about keeping ourselves afloat. As leaders, we have a responsibility to model resilience for our teams, showing them what it looks like to navigate challenges with authenticity and adaptability.
When we invest in our own resilience, we create a ripple effect. We build stronger teams, foster healthier workplaces, and cultivate a culture where everyone feels empowered to bring their best selves to the table.
5 actions to strengthen professional resilience
Build your board of trustees: Identify the voices you need for guidance and make time to reflect on their “advice” regularly.
Schedule breaks: Unplug deliberately—put “think time” and creative play on your calendar just like meetings.
Invest in external support: Work with a coach, mentor, or therapist to create accountability and structured growth.
Embrace menopause as a compass: Pay attention to how your symptoms guide your priorities and adapt your leadership style accordingly.
Model resilience for your team: By showing up and modelling how to navigate challenges with self-awareness, empathy, and a healthy dose of humour you strengthen your accountability to yourself.
Read more from Bianka Kuhn-Thompson
Bianka Kuhn-Thompson, Dramatherapist and Systemic Leadership Consultant
Bianka is a distinguished Dramatherapist and Systemic Leadership Consultant dedicated to enhancing leadership resilience among female professionals. With a deep understanding of mental health, menopause, ADHD, and trauma-informed practice, Bianka empowers women to navigate professional challenges effectively. Through bravely.B, she offers unique, creative approaches to profoundly reduce stress, foster well-being, and develop protective strategies against professional challenges.
