**1. Introduction**

Extrinsic structural inequities, such as historical biases against women in certain professions, their delegation to lower-paying jobs, gender, racial, and other discrimination, and additional systemic factors, have been extensively studied as barriers to women entering and advancing in leadership positions in the workplace. Yet, the intrinsic, individual characteristics of successful women leaders, including self-awareness, self-respect, selfesteem, self-confidence, self-acceptance, and resilience, that have facilitated their success in obtaining and retaining leadership positions despite these barriers have received far less attention in the literature. Resilience, in particular, is an important intrinsic characteristic that facilitates women's ability to navigate the often-difficult terrain of organizations, including facing disrespect by supervisors and colleagues [1]. The negative impact of disrespect and its flip side, respect, have been highlighted as important interpersonal factors that either work against or nurture employee commitment and job satisfaction and contribute to either a toxic or healthy work environment [1–6].

#### *1.1. Resilience*

Resilience has become an increasingly important ability to enable employees to survive and succeed in the turbulent and volatile work world characterized by complexity, rapidly changing local and global conditions, rapidly changing job configurations and downsizing, and external shocks such as the pandemic which displaced millions of workers and forced millions of others to work from home. Resilience is also an important ability for employees to overcome negative interpersonal interactions at work, especially those that derive from gender, racial, and other forms of discrimination. While most researchers agree that resilience is the ability to grow and move forward in the face of misfortune, there is still ambiguity surrounding the underlying process that comprises resilience [1].

For purposes of this study, resilience is defined as the individual's ability to adjust to adversity, maintain equilibrium, and retain or regain some sense of control over their environment and continue to move positively [1,2]. Luthar et al. [3] and Tugade and Fredrickson [4] defined adversity as the state of hardship or suffering associated with misfortune, trauma, distress, difficulty, or a tragic event. Workplace adversity can be defined as any negative, stressful, traumatic, or difficult situation or an episode of hardship encountered at work that creates barriers to role success or thriving in the organization [1].

Discussions on resilience being innate or learned are ongoing among researchers [1], including whether or not it requires positive growth or successful adaptation [2]. Resilience is not static. It is an active process, a balance between vulnerability and elasticity [2–4]. If equilibrium is maintained, an individual can theoretically manage any situation that comes along. Developing personal resilience can reduce vulnerability [5]. Individuals can develop and strengthen personal resilience by developing strategies for reducing their vulnerability and the personal impact of adversity in the workplace. Everyone has the potential to be resilient. One's resilience level is determined by factors such as individual experiences, the environment, and a balance of risk and protective factors [4].

London [6] asserted that the individual characteristics related to career motivation and success include career identity, career insight, and career resilience—"a person's resistance to career disruption in a less than optimal environment" (p. 621). Career resilience includes the ability to satisfactorily handle poor working conditions while one is aware of them. This ability includes self-efficacy, self-esteem, adaptability, and internal control, as well as risk-taking, low fear of failure, and a high tolerance for uncertainty [6].

Pincott [7] conducted in-depth interviews of 20 executive women leaders in nine industries in the United States to understand their conceptions of and strategies for developing and applying resilience. She found that these leaders conceived of resilience as the ability to bounce back, self-awareness, mind and body wellness, an optimistic outlook, adaptability, and the determination to succeed. Interviewed leaders identified the manifestations of resilience in the workplace as strategic thinking, social awareness, relationship management, building influential networks, credibility, and courage.

Ijames [8] gathered stories of resilience from ten African American women school principals in North Carolina who described how they exercised resilience in the face of the diminishment they experienced from gender and racial stereotypes and the challenges of leadership in general. They attributed their resilience to being armored by faith, family, community, and culture; being armored yet vulnerable; being undeterred and self-agentic; and fighting the good fight for purposeful leadership.

The six African American women superintendents of schools in the United States interviewed by Johnson [9] credited a number of factors to account for their resiliency in the face of enormous challenges and even adversity typical in their positions. They cited being raised in supportive families and communities, having supportive parents and key mentors in their early adulthood and early careers, being strengthened by faith and optimism, nurturing a healthy mind, body, and work–life balance, and treating everyone with respect and integrity.

Research indicates that while women workers are more likely to experience burnout than their male counterparts [10], women leaders have demonstrated more resilience despite additional stress and exhaustion. Many have become stronger leaders who take on additional work associated with the new work environment [10].
