Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between resilience, grit, and optimism and their strategic value.
• Identify personal cognitive styles that either hinder or support resilient thought patterns.
• Apply the principles of Cognitive Restructuring to reframe setbacks and negative events constructively.
• Develop practical coping mechanisms for managing immediate stress and emotional turmoil during crises.
• Define a clear, long-term purpose ("North Star") that fuels sustained effort and perseverance (Grit).
• Build a strong professional and personal support network to act as a resilience resource.
• Utilise techniques for recovery, self-care, and preventing compassion fatigue.
• Create a personalised "Resilience Action Plan" for proactive mental conditioning.

Target Audience

• Leaders and Managers guiding teams through organisational change or crisis.
• Sales and Business Development Professionals facing constant rejection or demanding targets.
• Individuals recovering from professional failure, setback, or burnout.
• Anyone seeking to enhance their motivation and long-term career persistence.
• High-Potential Employees being prepared for high-pressure roles.

• Interactive exercises in cognitive restructuring (ABCDE model).
• Case studies of leaders and organisations demonstrating high grit and resilience.
• Group discussions and personal storytelling about overcoming professional adversity.
• Individual development of a "Grit Grid" and purpose alignment map.
• Mindfulness and stress-reduction techniques practice sessions.

Unit 1: The Foundations of Mental Toughness

• Understanding the "Why" and "How" of bouncing back from adversity.
• The difference between resilience (recovering) and grit (persevering).
• The three components of Hardiness: Commitment, Control, and Challenge.
• Self-assessment: Measuring your current levels of resilience and passion/perseverance.

• Introduction to Explanatory Style: How you attribute causes to good and bad events.
• Challenging catastrophic thinking and the permanence of setbacks.
• Developing a growth-oriented interpretation of failure (Learning Mindset).
• The concept of "learned optimism" and its impact on effort.

Unit 2: Building Core Resilience Skills

• Applying the ABCDE model (Adversity, Belief, Consequence, Disputation, Energisation) to negative thoughts.
• Techniques for disputing irrational or unhelpful beliefs about a situation.
• Practising "perspective-taking" and reducing the emotional intensity of events.
• Using humor and deflecting techniques to manage minor frustrations.

• Identifying personal early warning signs of stress and overload.
• Developing a personal "toolbox" of immediate stress-reduction techniques.
• The importance of sleep, nutrition, and exercise as biological buffers for stress.
• Techniques for mindfulness and grounding during moments of high-pressure.

Unit 3: Cultivating Long-Term Grit

• Defining a clear, compelling, and hierarchical set of long-term goals.
• The critical role of passion and interest in fueling sustained effort.
• The "Grit Grid": Aligning daily tasks with a higher-level purpose.
• Strategies for identifying and working with a "Gritty" mentor or role model.

• Understanding Deliberate Practice: Focused effort beyond comfort zones.
• The concept of "Stretch Goals" and the importance of timely, constructive feedback.
• Building positive habits and routines to automate perseverance.
• Techniques for maintaining hope and motivation during "the messy middle" of a long journey.

Unit 4: Resilience in the Team Context

• The leader's role in modelling resilient behaviour and emotional regulation.
• Strategies for creating a psychologically safe environment for risk-taking and failure.
• Conducting "after-action reviews" (AARs) to learn from setbacks constructively.
• Techniques for managing collective stress and compassion fatigue within a team.

• Identifying and cultivating sources of professional and personal support.
• Learning how to ask for help and vulnerability as a strength.
• The reciprocal nature of support: Being a resource for others.
• Creating a "Resilience Buddy" system for mutual accountability and encouragement.

Unit 5: Final Action Plan

• Developing a comprehensive, personalised Resilience and Grit Action Plan.
• Scenario-based practice in reframing a significant past professional failure.
• Peer coaching on disputing negative self-talk and building confidence.
• Commitment setting for introducing one new grit-building habit immediately.