What if I told you that resilience isn't about toughening up, but rather letting go a little? We spend so much of our time trying to be "strong," holding it all together—even as life is swirling around us, pushing us to exhaustion.

It's like we've all been handed this script that says, "If you aren't powering through, you aren't resilient." But what if that's the very thing that's holding us back?

Dr. Ute Liersch turns that old belief on its head. Together, we explore a fresh, transformative take on resilience—one that's rooted in psychological flexibility, not sheer grit. Dr. Ute invites us to reframe resilience as yielding, bending, and even pausing, instead of bracing ourselves for life's next blow. We're not talking about giving up or cheering you on to "just stay positive." This is not about ignoring reality, bulletproofing your emotions, or striving for some mythical state of permanent happiness. This is about learning the wisdom of yielding—about letting life hold you, instead of grinding yourself down.

If you're craving a gentler, more sustainable way to lead (at work and in life), you're in the right place. This is a real conversation about honoring the truth of where you are, and building new strength from that very spot.

Highlights

(00:00) Redefining Resilience (02:41) The cultural trap of toughness—and the bamboo vs. fir tree lesson (05:56) What resilience REALLY means (and why stress is necessary to grow) (1010) Why radical acceptance can feel like a "should"—and what to do instead (11:40) Noticing, yielding, and how to take yourself seriously at work (14:59) How to slow down when life speeds up—and practical daily resilience habits (22:48) Self-awareness vs. judgment: Using the "magic mirror" for leaders (24:25) Why you literally have no choice but to yield when the pressure rises (25:47) Joy vs. happiness—how chasing the wrong thing keeps you stuck (27:58) Your flexible resilience homework: a two-week noticing challenge (34:52) The real wisdom of yielding: How your body becomes your guide

Links and Resources

Connect with Dr. Ute Liersch on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drute/

Dr. Ute Liersch's Book

https://www.amazon.com/Minimalists-Guide-Becoming-Resilient-Psychologist/dp/B0FHJ4SGDX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=20X8FNH2MY5DX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hPiv2B7JTyASnkfaEGhj_Q.gBHyBuE57d5DnBDYzYl1NM1XrqeLqwJouIBO6WdhfWw&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+minimalists+guide+to+becoming+resilient&qid=1758573743&sprefix=the+minimalists+guide+%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-1

About Andrea Butcher

Andrea Butcher is a visionary business leader, executive coach, and keynote speaker—she empowers leaders to gain clarity through the chaos by being MORE of who they already are. Her experiences—serving as CEO, leading at an executive level, and working in and leading global teams—make her uniquely qualified to support leadership and business success. She hosts the popular leadership podcast, Being [at Work] with a global audience of over 600,000 listeners and is the author of The Power in the Pivot (Red Thread Publishing 2022) and HR Kit for Dummies (Wiley 2023).

Connect with Andrea

https://www.abundantempowerment.com/

Connect with Andrea Butcher on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaderdevelopmentcoach/