When workplace pressure feels crushing, some EAs crumble while others thrive. According to Dr Paul Taylor, a thought leader in psychology and neuroscience, the difference is hardiness.
As an EA, you’re constantly navigating unexpected changes, managing multiple stakeholders and handling pressure that would break others. Stress is inevitable – so will you grow from it or be diminished by it?
What hardiness really means
Hardiness is more than being tough or resilient. It’s a specific psychological construct; a pattern of attitudes and skills that provides the courage and strategies to turn stressful circumstances from potential disasters into growth opportunities.
First identified by researchers Salvatore Maddi and Suzanne Kobasa through a 12-year study at Illinois Bell Telephone during massive industry disruption, hardiness emerged as the key factor distinguishing those who thrive under extreme stress from those who succumb to it.
While two thirds of employees experienced significant health and performance deterioration during workplace disruption, a third not only maintained their health and performance – they flourished. The difference came down to three interrelated attitudes.
The three pillars of hardiness
- Challenge is the view that change is normal and presents opportunities for growth, with the willingness to lean into difficulties rather than shy away from them.
For EAs: This means viewing that last-minute board presentation request as a chance to showcase your capabilities (as opposed to an impossible task).
- Control is the belief that you can influence outcomes through your efforts rather than feeling powerless in the face of external forces.
For EAs: Don’t try to control everything. Instead, focus your energy on what you can influence while accepting what you can’t.
- Commitment is a tendency to involve yourself deeply in whatever you’re doing with a genuine sense of purpose.For EAs: When you see your role as genuinely important to your organisation’s success, stress becomes meaningful rather than just overwhelming.
The Stockdale Paradox
Vice Admiral James Stockdale spent seven and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, including four years in solitary confinement. Tortured 15 times, he survived by consciously applying Stoic philosophy. He saw his imprisonment as a test of character, focusing relentlessly on what he could control and remaining deeply engaged with his role as senior officer.
He later articulated what became known as the Stockdale Paradox – you must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.
For EAs, this means acknowledging when you’re genuinely overwhelmed while maintaining confidence in your ability to work through it. Yes, this restructure is genuinely disruptive – but you have the skills to navigate it.
Building your hardiness
Hardiness can be developed. Unlike fixed personality traits, these attitudes and skills can be strengthened through conscious practice. Here’s how:
- Start with challenge.
When faced with a difficult situation, ask “what can I learn from this?” rather than “why is this happening to me?” That demanding new exec who needs completely different support? They’re helping you develop adaptability and stakeholder management skills. - Develop control by distinguishing between influence and control.
You can’t control whether the CEO restructures the department. But you can influence how well-prepared you are, how quickly you adapt and how you support your team through the transition.
- Strengthen commitment by connecting your daily tasks to larger purposes.
By scheduling meetings, you’re enabling critical business decisions. By managing travel, you’re ensuring your executive can focus on strategic priorities without logistical distractions.
- Build micro-recovery habits into your day.
Hardy individuals actively recover from stress. Take five minutes between meetings to breathe or swap your commute for something that energises rather than drains you.
- Develop your stress narrative.
Instead of thinking “I’m too stressed,” try “I’m growing stronger.” Research shows that how we interpret our stress response significantly impacts how it affects us.
The EA advantage
Your role naturally develops hardiness in ways that other positions don’t. You’re constantly adapting, managing competing priorities and finding creative solutions under pressure. Every day you’re building the attitudes and skills that research shows create resilience.
The question isn’t whether you’ll face stress and change. It’s whether you’ll use them as raw materials for growth. Hardiness is about being strong in a way that’s sustainable and fulfilling.
Dr Paul Taylor is a keynote speaker, podcast host and thought leader with post-graduate qualifications in psychology, exercise science, nutrition and neuroscience | paultaylor.biz
