Hey there friends,
I’m reflecting on a week that’s been all about resilience.
Across two days, I clocked up 12 hours on trains to deliver a workshop for a brilliant team.
The topic? Resilience.
The irony wasn’t lost on me.
Because, honestly, it’s a funny old word. One that’s become both a badge of honour and a stick to beat ourselves with. If we’re not “resilient”, does that mean we’re weak?
I’ve been reading Boris Cyrulnik’s book on the subject, and one line has really stuck with me: “We are astonished when we meet children who overcome their misfortunes.”
It’s played in my head ever since. Because I’ve been told I’m “so strong” my whole life - which sounds nice… until you realise it gives you no space to not be. No room to wobble. No moment to say, “I need help.”
But here’s what this week - and our webinar, Leading Well Under Pressure: Human-First Management in the AI Era - reminded me of.
Real resilience isn’t about gritting your teeth and pushing through.
It’s about noticing your state - when you’re calm, when you’re hijacked, when you’ve slipped into story.
It’s about choosing how you respond instead of being ruled by reaction.
And it’s about connection - because you don’t have to do it alone.
When Steph (our in-house psychotherapist) and I ran the session, it was so clear how many people just needed a bit of permission to pause.
To stop striving to be strong (or perfect), and start practising steadiness.
Because that’s the thing about resilience - it’s not about doing more.
It’s about knowing when to stop, breathe and reset.
It’s about noticing the story you’re telling yourself and gently rewriting it.
And it’s about remembering that calm is contagious - especially when you’re leading others.
So this weekend, give yourself permission to exhale. To put something down. To just be.
Have a steady (not strong!) week. And get in touch if you'd like to talk about resilience.
Cate x
Hey there friends,
I’m reflecting on a week that’s been all about resilience.
Across two days, I clocked up 12 hours on trains to deliver a workshop for a brilliant team.
The topic? Resilience.
The irony wasn’t lost on me.
Because, honestly, it’s a funny old word. One that’s become both a badge of honour and a stick to beat ourselves with. If we’re not “resilient”, does that mean we’re weak?
I’ve been reading Boris Cyrulnik’s book on the subject, and one line has really stuck with me: “We are astonished when we meet children who overcome their misfortunes.”
It’s played in my head ever since. Because I’ve been told I’m “so strong” my whole life - which sounds nice… until you realise it gives you no space to not be. No room to wobble. No moment to say, “I need help.”
But here’s what this week - and our webinar, Leading Well Under Pressure: Human-First Management in the AI Era - reminded me of.
Real resilience isn’t about gritting your teeth and pushing through.
It’s about noticing your state - when you’re calm, when you’re hijacked, when you’ve slipped into story.
It’s about choosing how you respond instead of being ruled by reaction.
And it’s about connection - because you don’t have to do it alone.
When Steph (our in-house psychotherapist) and I ran the session, it was so clear how many people just needed a bit of permission to pause.
To stop striving to be strong (or perfect), and start practising steadiness.
Because that’s the thing about resilience - it’s not about doing more.
It’s about knowing when to stop, breathe and reset.
It’s about noticing the story you’re telling yourself and gently rewriting it.
And it’s about remembering that calm is contagious - especially when you’re leading others.
So this weekend, give yourself permission to exhale. To put something down. To just be.
Have a steady (not strong!) week. And get in touch if you'd like to talk about resilience.
Cate x
