There are many traits that define a true entrepreneur. If you are reading this note, you are probably part of the Soundboard community and know what these traits are; in fact, I know you possess many of them. From my forty years as both an entrepreneur and executive coach to hundreds of early stage and long-term business creators, there is no trait more important than resiliency. That trait has been severely tested over the last two months. It has been fascinating to observe those who were able to quickly navigate through the adverse conditions and those who were trapped within their fears.

Resilient people view difficulty as a challenge while remaining committed to their goals. During periods of uncertainty they focus their efforts on redesigning their action plans, not giving up on them. They recognize that there are still so many factors that are in their control and they remain flexible as they pave a new path towards goal achievement.

As a coach, my role is to help our clients change their narrative. To learn from the negative experience, but quickly look for the opportunities within the crisis.

Even in our previous “non-pandemic” world, change was constant and, in many cases, rapid. Those who embraced the change, adapted their business models and stressed a longer-term investment mentality, were able to continue to maintain their competitive edge. In our current “pandemic” world, the speed of change accelerated, requiring entrepreneurs and leaders to tap deeply into their pool of resiliency and not let the fears get in the way of making sound business decisions.

It is my belief that we will see the muscles of resiliency strengthened as a result of the current crisis. Current and future entrepreneurs will more easily be able to deal with the “normal” changes associated with growing a business. The small things that you need to navigate around will appear more trivial and will be less likely to slow you down.

So much of what we experience is manufactured in our mind, the result of the noise and messaging that we expose ourselves to. As you are pushing the limits of your resiliency muscles, make sure you are also nourishing it by surrounding yourself with forward-thinking, growth-oriented, and optimistic people.