Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult experiences. It is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, stress, threat, and other important challenges.

Resilience is a key factor in the success of both individuals and organizations. Fortunately, the ability to build greater resilience is not a byproduct of good genes or a happy childhood. It involves a set of learned thoughts, behaviors, and actions that almost everyone can achieve.

What does it take to become more resilient?

1. Good "people" or relationship skills. By learning how to communicate, cooperate, collaborate, influence and lead others, you can greatly strengthen your "bounce back" potential.

2. Self-motivation. While it's important to work with other people, support systems are not always readily available. Knowing how to sustain motivation and momentum will keep you moving forward and on track.

3. Persistence. Resilient people don't give up in the face of obstacles, they buckle down. An important aspect of persistence involves "not giving up" when the going gets touch.

4. Resourcefulness. Learning how to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to problems will enable you to surmount many of the obstacles you face.

5. Perspective. Rather than getting mired in the details, it is important to understand the bigger picture. Rather than letting the small stuff throw you, focus on developing a greater sense of purpose and commitment to your work.

6. Cultivate an attitude of optimism and hope. Expecting success is a large part of achieving it.

7. Learning from failures and mistakes is another important dimension of success. When you fail to learn from your mistakes, you are doomed to go on repeating them.

8. Cultivate a sense of humor. Take the work seriously, but learn to laugh at yourself. Otherwise, you might be prone to becoming overly sensitive to criticism and mistakes.

9. Accept the inevitability of change. When you embrace change, you become more flexible. And when you are more flexible, you are also more responsive to the needs and challenges you encounter at work.

10. Finally, cultivate self-awareness. Your thoughts and feelings are an important factor in your success or failure. When you understand yourself, you are less likely to engage in self-sabotaging behaviors and more likely to empathize with others.