Buoyancy - A Leadership Principle
- wilsonr345
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Buoyancy – A Leadership Principle
The Buoyant Leader: Floating Above Adversity
I've often used the phrase, "I'm just going to rubber duck it!", a quirky remark to dismiss a thought or move past a setback. It wasn't until recently that I gave the phrase more thought, realising its deeper meaning and relevance to leadership. This led me to a new appreciation for the concept of buoyancy.
Buoyancy vs. Resilience
The term buoyancy was first introduced to me from the educational sector through Martin and Marsh's (2008) work on Academic buoyancy theory. It's the ability to remain on the surface and not sink when faced with challenges. In contrast, resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, like a tree bending in the wind and then snapping back to its upright position. While resilience is about bouncing back, buoyancy is about staying afloat in the first place, much like a rubber duck that remains on the surface no matter how much the water is disturbed.
In a professional context, this distinction is key. The concept of using buoyancy instead of resilience can be explained as the ability to maintain a positive outlook and continue to thrive, or "stay afloat," despite facing adversity. While resilience suggests the capacity to spring back to an original state after being stretched or bent, buoyancy implies an inherent ability to rise above challenges and remain on top.
A Leadership Mindset: Shaping the Environment
My ability to "rubber duck it" was not just a simple dismissal; it was a skill instilled in me by my training and mindset. The ability to respond effectively when a situation arose. This principle is a powerful one for leaders to adopt. Great leadership isn't about being unbreakable; it's about helping people stay afloat when conditions get rough.
Traditional resilience often focuses on the individual: "Take the pressure. Bounce back." A buoyant approach, however, shifts the focus to the collective: "Design your culture so people don't sink in the first place."
A buoyant leader shapes the environment, not just the individual. They create systems and relationships that support the team, allowing them to remain on the surface and navigate challenges with confidence. A buoyant team, like a buoyant leader, doesn't just recover from adversity, it anticipates and rises above it.
What does it mean for you to be a buoyant leader?
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