Hands Down, Chin Up: The Mindset of Resilient Leaders

I recently came across an insightful analogy from a coach discussing leadership with athletes. He asked a simple but powerful question: "When adversity strikes, are you a hands-up or hands-down kind of person?"

He showed clips of basketball players complaining about calls, throwing their hands up in frustration—essentially signaling to the world that they felt victimized by circumstances. Then, he contrasted that with players who kept their hands down, calm and composed, taking ownership of the situation.

And that got me thinking: this isn’t just about sports. This is about mindset. In life, when things don’t go your way, do you throw your hands up in frustration, or do you keep them down, signaling to yourself and those around you that you’ve got it under control?

But it goes deeper than that. It’s not just about your hands. It’s also about your chin.

Chin Up vs. Chin Down: Body Language Speaks Volumes

In tough moments, do you walk around with your chin down, shoulders slumped, head hanging low because you missed a shot, lost a deal, or didn’t hit your numbers? Or do you keep your chin up, eyes forward, and head held high, ready for the next opportunity?

Leadership isn’t about being perfect. It’s about resilience, poise, and confidence in the face of challenges. The best leaders—whether in sports, business, or life—master the ability to keep their hands down (calm, in control) and their chin up (optimistic, forward-focused).

Watch the Film: How Do You Handle Adversity?

Imagine for a second that you’re an outsider reviewing footage of your own life. If you watched a replay of your last few challenges at work or in life, what would you see?

• Would you see yourself pointing fingers, blaming external factors like the economy, interest rates, or your boss?
• Would you see yourself visibly upset, letting your emotions dictate your body language?
• Or would you see yourself poised, in control, and focused on solutions rather than complaints?

True leadership is about consistency. Great leaders don’t let their emotions dictate their reactions. They show up the same way whether times are good or bad.

Reframing Your Adversity: Seeing Opportunity in Setbacks

What if you could train yourself to immediately shift your perspective on failure?

What if, instead of hanging your head when something goes wrong, you trained yourself to think:

• “This is just a setup for my next big win.”
• “This challenge is teaching me something I need to know.”
• “This is the moment where I prove that I can lead through anything.”

Visualization is a powerful tool. If you replay a moment where you handled adversity poorly, imagine what would’ve happened if you had kept your chin up and hands down. How would people have responded to you? How would you have carried yourself differently?

The good news is: it’s not too late to change.

Your Leadership Sets the Tone for Others

If you commit to being a hands-down, chin-up kind of leader, something incredible happens: you inspire those around you to do the same.

When you stay calm and collected in the face of adversity:

• Your team follows your lead.
• Your clients trust you more.
• Your family and friends feel more secure around you.

Leadership isn’t just about personal success—it’s about elevating everyone around you.

The Hands-Down, Chin-Up Challenge

We’ve got a few months left in the year. There are going to be challenges. Deadlines will pile up. Sales goals will loom. Stress will build.

But what if you made the choice to never react emotionally?

• What if you became the leader who, when things get tough, people look to and say, “They’ve got it under control”?
• What if your calm energy lifted those around you instead of bringing them down?

If you can become the rock—the steady, composed leader—you create opportunities not just for yourself, but for everyone in your orbit.

So today, ask yourself: When adversity hits, will you throw your hands up, or will you keep them down and handle business? Will you hang your head in defeat, or will you keep your chin up and look forward?

The choice is yours. Choose to lead.

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