In entrepreneurship, just as in elite sports and everyday life, being resilient is often understood as possessing that key quality of being able to bounce-back. This means being able to recover quickly from setbacks and emerging from the experience even stronger.
In business, resilience is powered by an unwavering determination to overcome obstacles and challenges. Rather than view failure as a defeat, resilient entrepreneurs embrace the opportunity to learn and grow.
In fact, in a recent article exploring the seven key qualities needed to be a successful entrepreneur, resilience came in at number one.
Resilience challenges the traditional blueprint of entrepreneurship by redefining success as a journey of adaptability, creativity and inclusivity. It transforms setbacks into stepping stones, encourages bold pivots in the face of uncertainty and empowers entrepreneurs to lead with authenticity and courage.
Those things that shape who you are as a person also go a long way to making the kind of entrepreneur you are.Michael Zalle
So, how do we learn to be more resilient?
Among the most resilient entrepreneurs out there are those who hail from the disability community. People with disabilities–physical and cognitive, seen and unseen–make up 15% of the world's population. This group of people has had to navigate a variety of challenges, from social stigma to accessibility issues.
Naturally, entrepreneurship can be an attractive option for people with disabilities because it enables them to be their own boss, work flexibly around their health issues and potentially overcome barriers associated with traditional employment such as workplace accessibility and discriminatory attitudes.
One example of a successful business owner who identifies as disabled is Michael Zalle, the founder and CEO of YellowBird–an Insurance Risk Management SaaS platform for the deployment of health and safety professionals. Zalle was born with an undeveloped forearm and spina bifida. He believes that the resilience he cultivated from a young age—growing up with a limb difference, which motivated him to master tying his shoes using one hand—has significantly contributed to his success in the business world.
“Those things that shape who you are as a person also go a long way to making the kind of entrepreneur you are,” says Zalle.
He continues, “I strongly believe that there's one consistent thing that goes along with any successful business person, but particularly an entrepreneur, which is the ability to almost be a little bit delusional. The ‘I can do anything anybody else can do. I am as smart as anybody else. I am as capable as anybody else and I'm going to figure this stuff out’ attitude. You know that sometimes you’re lying to yourself but that’s what gets you advancing and putting one foot in front of the other.”
Zalle sees his indefatigable spirit as the source of his resilience, allowing him to face major challenges by drawing on that inner strength and a lifetime of experience. He also learned to hone his focus to reduce overwhelm, a skill that many early-stage entrepreneurs might perceive as a weakness or kind of failure.
“Is somebody not resilient because they don't have a big personality and they can't make 50 phone calls a day?” asks Zalle.
“Maybe they make one phone call a day but it’s the right one and, when they failed with that one, they learned from it, did more research and made one more the next day that went a little bit better. That's resilience.”
Navigating volatility: resilience is essential for business
Step back and take a more detached look at the realities of the business world. Despite the wide variety of entrepreneurial styles and tactics out there, there is little debate on certain key elements.
First, it’s never a question of if setbacks will occur, but when. These can come in the form of financial setbacks such as missing revenue targets but may also involve external factors like an unexpected market downturn. Personal challenges can also play a major role, particularly if only one or two people are driving the business in those early startup days.
Resilience helps entrepreneurs manage stress and stay focused by fostering emotional strength and a growth mindset. It enables them to view setbacks as opportunities, prioritize effectively and remain confident under pressure. By maintaining perspective, resilience allows for quick recovery, thoughtful decision-making and adaptability in addressing challenges.
The business world is volatile, and new trends can emerge out of left field. Entrepreneurs who can respond to market disruptions fastest have an adaptable mindset and know when it’s time to pivot.
Setting up a business and navigating the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship requires a commitment to a long-term goal and vision, along with the patience to recognize that success takes time.
Knowing when to push through short-term challenges to stay on track with your long-term vision–and when to pivot in response to a market shift– is a crucial skill for any entrepreneur.
Both business moves require entrepreneurs to practice resilience in order to move forward with a clear head and avoid getting weighted down by the psychological stress of uncertainty.
Another business owner who lives with a disability is Lorraine Woodward, the founder and CEO of Becoming RentAble, a platform that specializes in accessible short-stay property rentals. Woodward lives with muscular dystrophy and, just like Zallezft, sees resilience as a key quality fueling her successful journey.
“Resilience is what has allowed me to find that point where I needed to pivot and create the change to have success,” says Lorraine. “This has been the hardest job I've ever done. But it's through that resilience, that determination, that pivoting, that has allowed us to grow and expand as a business. For me, resilience is not being afraid to dream. If it wasn’t for the fact that I know I am resilient, I don't know that my mind would be as creative and open to new ideas because it would be more focused on what might go wrong.”
Cultivate a fearless mindset. Resilience fuels creativity and innovation, and by focusing on possibilities instead of potential failures, you create space for bold ideas and fresh solutions to emerge.
Build your resilience as you build your business
If you’re questioning whether you’re resilient enough to stay on the entrepreneurial path, data shows that while some people are innately resilient, resilience can also be developed over time.
Often, the best way to build resilience is by going through the cycle of experiencing a setback, reflecting on the lessons learned and applying them to future challenges. This process fosters confidence that, no matter the circumstances, you can overcome and succeed.
Another practical thing business owners can do to build resilience is cultivate a support network. This can include fellow entrepreneurs, mentors and advisors, and even investors. Being part of a community can greatly enhance resilience by combatting some of the social isolation entrepreneurs often experience. A solid network can also be a great source of ideas, opening up new ways of thinking by revealing how others tackle similar challenges to the ones you might be facing.
Finally, the simplest piece of advice is the hardest to take, even though it can super-charge your resilience in the long-term.
Be kind to yourself and know when to switch off. Invest in rest.
Zalle heartily agrees, “Having the ability to take a break, to take a nap, to lay down and not feel the guilt and not feel the shame and get back up and keep going. That's as resilient as you get.”
Stories like those of Michael Zalle and Lorraine Woodward show how resilience not only drives innovation but also breaks societal norms, proving that diverse experiences and unconventional paths enrich the entrepreneurial landscape.
By embracing resilience, entrepreneurs forge new definitions of success–ones that prioritize growth, creativity and meaningful change over conformity to outdated ideals.