Watching the Covid numbers rise once again across the country, and talking to many people who feel they’re on an emotional rollercoaster during this pandemic, a word I recently learned comes to mind. That word is sisu (pronounced see’-soo). According to finlandia.edu, “Sisu is a Finnish term that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.” Sisu is the quality that lets the Finnish people pick themselves up, learn something from previous failures, and overcome adversity.
Reflecting back 15 years ago to when I was consulting in Finland, I now realize the invitation an American coworker and I received from a Finnish colleague to jump in the ocean in the dead of winter (i.e. ice swim) and then sauna, is one of the ways for the Finnish people to demonstrate and / or build up their sisu, in addition to being a way to address the winter blues. My American colleague and I both politely declined the offer as we were both quite content to stay warm indoors. And if I had known then what I know now about sisu, I may have made a different choice.
As change agents and leaders, we can frequently encounter challenges, setbacks, and adversity at work. Encountering so much adversity in our personal life however may or may not be familiar. Now that you know what sisu is, which of the below describes your sisu when it comes to adversity at work? How about in your personal life?
