Leadership and learning resilience through surrender
Writer: Betty Ogiel Rubanga. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- Resilient leadership is not only about bold action. It’s also about knowing when to pause, trust the process, and allow the storm to shape deeper wisdom.
- Surrendering to reality doesn’t make a leader weak—it makes them wise. Pain, failure, and uncertainty are often the most powerful teachers.
Leadership is often equated with control. We expect leaders to take charge, communicate clearly, and guide their teams through storms. A leader who remains silent or inactive during critical moments risks being seen as ineffective.
After all, there is no leadership manual that recommends simply occupying a position without meaningful engagement. Yet, true resilience in leadership is not only about decisive action. It is also about knowing when to step back. Sometimes, the most courageous act a leader can take is to surrender.
Surrender in leadership
Surrender does not mean giving up. It is not about abandoning one’s responsibilities or disengaging in the face of adversity. Rather, surrender is the intentional decision to release control over what cannot be immediately changed. It is the wisdom to discern when a situation needs time, patience, and inner resolve, rather than immediate intervention.
When I was involved in a terrible accident that left me paralysed on one side of my body, doctors declared me 100 percent disabled. That moment, and the long road that followed, taught me to surrender—not in defeat, but in trust.
I had to let go of trying to control outcomes and instead focus on healing, learning, and adapting. That was where my resilience was born.
The power of surrender
Surrender can be one of the most strategic decisions a leader makes. Here’s why:
1. It deepens self-awareness and personal growth. In surrendering, leaders learn what they are truly made of. A crisis becomes a mirror, revealing strength, endurance, and even vulnerability.
2. It enhances problem-solving and decision-making. By stepping back, leaders gain a clearer view of the situation, free from emotional reactivity. When American businessman Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple, he chose not to fight. He redirected his focus and, years later, returned wiser, calmer, and ready to transform the company with new insight.
3. It preserves energy for the right battles. Not every challenge requires a fight. Some require acceptance. Surrendering in moments of uncertainty allows leaders to conserve their strength for more meaningful interventions later.
4. It unlocks adaptability and creative thinking. When Covid-19 disrupted businesses globally in 2020, the organisations that thrived were those that accepted the crisis and adapted swiftly. They shifted operations, empowered remote teams, and found creative ways to serve their customers.
What leaders can
Surrender is not passive. It is purposeful. Here’s how leaders can remain engaged during these times:
• Observe without interfering. Step back and allow patterns to emerge. The bigger picture often reveals itself in stillness. •
Engage in strategic thinking. Use this time to reflect on what truly matters. Revisit your goals, realign priorities, and plan ahead.
• Strengthen internal resilience. Read, reflect, journal, pray, or meditate. Leadership strength starts from within. • Empower others. Let go of the need to control everything. Trust your team, delegate, and allow others to rise.
• Seek external wisdom. Mentors, books, and stories of resilient leaders can offer guidance. No leader walks alone. One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is exhausting themselves fighting battles they cannot win.
Surrendering to reality doesn’t make a leader weak—it makes them wise. Pain, failure, and uncertainty are often the most powerful teachers.
Resilient leadership is not only about bold action. It’s also about knowing when to pause, trust the process, and allow the storm to shape deeper wisdom.
Ms Betty Ogiel is a Maxwell Leadership certified team speaker and trainer.
