Over the past 20 years, I’ve been on an incredible journey working as a founder, and amid all the ups, downs, twists and turns, I’ve learned one thing to be true: Successful people must be resilient.
Resilience has played a key role in my own success and in the lives of the people I’ve worked with, from team members in the C-suite to entry level workers. Why? Because life rarely goes as planned, and we have the choice to either survive or thrive during trying times. That’s where resilience comes in. When we roll with the punches and make the decision to thrive, we’re welcoming opportunities for redirection. And when you embrace resilience and redirection, you’re taking control of your own destiny.
Fifteen years ago, I stood at this very crossroad. It was 9 a.m. on a Monday, and I had just gotten fired in a hotel lobby from a company I had spent the previous five years turning around. It was a complete shock to me and certainly unexpected.
Years later, I can say that I’m grateful for that experience, because it taught me how to look for empathy in myself and others. Rather than being a victim to those circumstances, I decided to find a path through. If reframed, every failure offers the opportunity to accept what is and then change your course. This experience gave me a front row seat to the beauty of resilience, and has been a guiding light for how I hire team members ever since.
How to identify resilient people
The only constant in life is change and wow, have we seen this over the past two years. From a pandemic to social justice to economic shifts, being resilient is the only antidote if you want to succeed.
A resilient leader knows how to navigate unpredictable circumstances with ease, instilling confidence among their team and peers. As the Japanese proverb says, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
When you are hiring, you are looking to build a strong team with people who are open to learning and embrace a growth mindset (which sometimes means making mistakes and learning from them along the way). Resilience is about growth, not blame. I believe in trusting everyone until there’s a reason to question that. I have made it a goal to hire leaders who help foster this environment and candidates who are eager to learn and grow.
Look for vulnerability in challenging moments
I personally interview all HQ and store leaders and one thing I ask every candidate is, “What’s one thing you failed at, and what did you learn from that experience?”
Somebody once asked me this and it stopped me dead in my tracks. My intention isn’t to catch folks off guard—I’m just genuinely looking for candidates to show that they understand failure is your friend if you pay attention to what you learned. It also vets an individual’s authenticity.
Time is sacred when interviewing a candidate, and nerves can be heightened, so I’ll give potential team members multiple opportunities to warm up and establish a deeper connection.
In instances where responses feel less authentic, I will ask follow ups such as, “Give me an example of when you learned a hard lesson,” or, “Why this company? Why do you want to come here?” Ultimately, I’m looking to see if they have what it takes to thrive in a fast-paced environment and embrace a growth mindset.
For example, if I’m interviewing a leader for a Hair Color Bar, I need to gauge from the initial meeting if they can roll with the punches of leading what’s essentially service and retail, with all the intricacies that come with delighting clients, from hiring like-minded stylists to running a profitable store.
If I’m interviewing a candidate for a HQ position, I am digging deeper to get to know who they are as a leader and an individual who will contribute to our culture and values. Ultimately, a hiring manager is making a critical decision for the future of a candidate, but both parties are there to learn if it’s a mutual fit.
I am cognizant that it’s my job to create a safe space in these conversations by opening up about my own failures and learnings, while being completely transparent about the role and challenges that may come with it.
To educate potential team members on who we are prior to the conversation, we make it a point to share articles, background materials, and even podcast appearances telling our story. We’ve found that this helps set candidates up for success and get a sense of who we are, so they feel comfortable showing up as themselves.
I want everyone to be themselves at Madison Reed. As a leader, I want real, honest relationships because it’s essential for our culture. While there are many qualities that make individuals stand out, resilience comes with the ability to have empathy, make mistakes, and grow as a person and as a collective. That is a quality all leaders should want to see in the people on their teams.
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