Book review – The Resilience Dynamic® by Jenny Campbell

“We are living in a world of profound change, challenge and uncertainty in all aspects of life. We experience all too often unforeseen disruption amid the social, political, economic, technological, and environmental systems that govern our lives. Disruptions occur in a quickening and often erratic manner, which makes them difficult to predict. The demand for swift adaptability is felt in every domain. Thus, there is the demand for resilience.”

The opening paragraph of Professor George Kohlrieser’s foreword in The Resilience Dynamic® perfectly captures the sentiments of the time we are living in. However, this was not written with covid-19 in mind, but the state of our lives in the 21^st century – pre the global pandemic.

The Resilience Dynamic® is Jenny Campbell’s first foray into the world of print, and it does not disappoint. She has taken a very broad subject and expertly poured it into 253 pages. The result is a highly digestible, easy read which makes the topic relational, accessible, and relevant to everyday working life.

The book is described by Campbell as ‘the tour of the golden nuggets of resilience’ and for a good reason – it is a wealth of information and inspiration. Grounded in over ten years of evidence-based research, it offers a theory of resilience, challenges the misconceptions surrounding resilience and shares many practical tools to put into action.

It blends case studies with exercises and is organised into three sensible parts with part one – Busting the Myths of Resilience – unpicking the cultural myths apart and inviting the reader to connect with their own perceptions of resilience. It challenges the widely held misconception that resilience is the same as being tough, is about having more control, the need for confidence to be resilient and that driving efficiency delivers the highest productivity.

In part two - The Resilience Engine Research Insights – the reader is introduced to Campbell’s work at the Resilience Engine and one of its core research models from which the book takes its name, the Resilience Dynamic®. Here you are walked through the multitude of resilience levels that exist and then deep dive into the implications for stress and change and how resilience really means your capacity for change.

In part three - How to Support and Develop Your Resilience – readers are shown how to apply all of they have discovered about themselves and for others. It explores the top enablers of resilience and goes into detail about what to do at each resilience level.

The Resilience Dynamic® offers coaches, managers, business owners, HR professionals, those working in occupational health and anyone interested in the subject a very clear understanding and insight into the intricate workings of human beings when it comes to working with stress, control and change.

Campbell has done an excellent job in showing that resilience accounts for many different states of mind – from breakdown to coping to breakthrough and everything in between.

She offers a persuasive and highly practical model of working with resilience and uses plain speaking to extend your learning and feed your curiosity. Campbell’s passion for the subject bounces off every page making this title an easy read and invaluable reference book. Well researched, practical, and thought provoking, this is a go to book for anyone working in people management, leadership, or coaching and will continue to offer many valuable insights long after covid-19 has moved on.

The Resilience Dynamic® is published by Practical Inspiration Publishing and is available directly from the publisher, Amazon and all other good bookshops