*3.6. Development of Resilience*

Participants had realistic perspectives about their industries and the lack of women in senior leadership positions in general. They had the self-esteem and self-respect that allowed them to have the self-control they needed to be effective in difficult situations. For some participants, there appeared to be a consciously deliberate, planned process consistent with some of the words they used during the interview, such as "I was very competitive" and "I have a strong desire to win."

There were major areas of influence in each woman's process in learning to be resilient when faced with a perceived lack of respect. In the participants' reflections on the development of their own resilience, they identified extrinsic influencers and intrinsic motivators that helped them retain a sense of resilience and control. They also discussed resilience as the choice to survive or leave a disrespectful situation.
