Here is an excerpt from an article written by Ron Carucci for Harvard Business Review and the HBR Blog Network. To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, obtain subscription information, and receive HBR email alerts, please click here.

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When we think about “resilience,” we typically imagine bouncing back from major hardship. Management theorists have increasingly put forward a more nuanced definition, however: resilience as the ability to adapt to complex change. But in today’s world, that means the demand for resilience is almost constant. With the ongoing onslaught of problems leaders face, and change being the only constant in organizational life, leaders must cultivate resilience as an ongoing skill, not just for the “big moments” of painful setbacks or major change.

After more than 30 years working alongside senior leaders amidst profound change, I have found that there are four strategies you can use to build resilience. These recommendations stem from a significant study of 167 leaders, which revealed that the most resilient leaders know themselves well — their strengths, their triggers, and their convictions. Here’s how to build your resilience through deeper self-knowledge: Take honest stock of your skills.

In the face of precedent-setting changes, leaders often second-guess themselves to a paralyzing degree. One client I worked with, a long-tenured supply-chain executive, needed to announce plant closings as part of improving his company’s manufacturing footprint. He was so panicked over what the organization’s reaction would be, he delayed the announcement by weeks. At the core of his fear was a gripping belief that he didn’t have the credibility to explain the decision or the skill to withstand the resentment of his department with whom he had enjoyed mutual loyalty for decades. But in truth, it was precisely that long-standing loyalty that gave him the credibility to announce the decision, and his meticulous planning that would eventually minimize any negative reaction. The anxiety of change had blurred his ability to take an objective look at his own strengths.

Resilient leaders take honest stock of where their skills and experiences have prepared them well for the difficulties they are facing, and what they may be legitimately lacking. They augment their shortfalls with the skills of others, and prepare themselves as best they can. Most importantly, they readily acknowledge those shortfalls to avoid the appearance of trying to hide them.

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Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Ron Carucci is co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, working with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change for their organizations, leaders, and industries. He is the best-selling author of eight books, including the recent Amazon #1 Rising to Power. Connect with him on Twitter at @RonCarucci; download his free e-book on Leading Transformation.