Meet Michael Guedel

We were lucky to catch up with Michael Guedel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michael , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from within. This was not always the case. There were moments in my life where I did not know what it meant to be resilient or how it could be practiced in my everyday life. From a young age facing the difficulties I did; I began to have a negative outlook on life and life’s outcomes. I had no foundation or roots in any identity for I did not know yet who I was or who I am to become, I was a leaf drifting in the wind wherever it took me. I viewed life as game to be watched from the stands and never to take an active role in, as I felt that any amount of effort put in on life, the outcome would always be negative. The turning point came when I hit rock bottom in my life and it had seemed that my life had went from bad to worse, and when I realized that I was at rock bottom, I felt that I was presented a choice in life, which was to remain in the same situation or to be resilient. I learned the word “resilient” when I overheard someone say it in a sentence. For some odd reason, which I still don’t know to this day, I had an urge to research the definition of the word resilient. Resilient is the ability to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions, and when I read that, it resonated with me, and I decided to remember what resilient meant. And so, when I found myself at rock bottom and presented with the choice to remain at rock bottom or be resilient, I chose to be resilient. I told myself “I want to be resilient” as an affirmation to get control of my life and put myself on the right path. Today that affirmation has changed from “I want to be resilient” to “I am resilient”. I have made resilience apart of who I am, and when I am faced with difficult conditions I ether withstand or recover quickly for I am resilient. This is where I get resilience from, from within.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I co-founded and lead Resilient Agency as Executive Director. Resilient Agency is a 501© (3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing youth development and community intervention services to underprivileged residents most impacted by violence to strengthen personal resilience, develop leadership, and community restoration. We service the areas of Echo Park and South Los Angeles by fostering safe and healthy communities through community violence intervention, providing community health work services and providing free groceries weekly to families in the communities we serve.

I am most excited of being the leader of Resilient. Every day I get to lead a team of selfless, motivated, and hardworking people who diligently give of themselves to their community and demonstrate the true meaning of resilience. I am truly proud to serve them.

What is special about our organization is our ability to connect with people. By using empathy, we are able to see how we can meet the needs of those around us. We care about the well-being of the community we serve, we want the best for people, to see them doing their best, and having the forte to bring it out of them is what makes us special

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three qualities, skills, and areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey are leadership, communication, and having organizational skill. Before you can master any of these mentioned you must first apply them you yourself. If you desire to be a strong leader for others you must first be a strong leader to yourself as well as communication and organization skills, they must be adopted with you. Leadership is influence over people, and it is acquired through ongoing years of servitude to the team or group of people that wish to lead. Leadership is not acquired by title from superiors but by the team of individuals who give you that position whether directly or indirectly. To begin developing your leadership skills you must obtain knowledge and experience in that field you wish to lead. Book knowledge is not enough, you need hands on experience. At the foundation of leadership is people, and to be an effective leader wherever you are at, you must include others in the mission that is to be accomplished. I recommend reading John Maxwell’s “21 Laws of Leadership” to get you started on your journey. To develop your communication skills, understand that communication involves active listening which is listening to understand and not just to respond, which will be the connection needed to get other people on your side. Communication is about transparency and effective articulation about the matter at hand. Individuals with strong communication skills tend to occupy powerful positions because people tend to follow those who can paint the full picture of what is to be expected. People disdain the unknown, so to clearly convey the road ahead brings a sense of security which people are drawn to. Also, communication has other benefits like the ability to negotiate. As you progress in your career the ability to negotiate is going to be a tool for you to rely on to help you navigate your career and put you in an advantageous position. A book I recommend for this is “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss. Finally, organization is critical for success. Organizational skills allow for you to lay the foundation for the road map of success, which also includes preparation which will allow you to foresee any obstacles that may present a challenge. Being organized and prepared for these obstacles, allows you to navigate them with ease and efficiency which will save you much needed time, which is critical for progress and success.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The book that has played an important role in my development is “12 Rules For Life – An antidote to chaos” by Dr. Jordan B. Peterson. Each of the 12 chapters is a rule that one must follow to be put on the right path or maintain course on the right path in life, which is avoiding or dealing with chaos appropriately. In chapter 3 of the book which is the third rule “Make Friends with people who want the best for you” explains the importance of the environment we choose to put ourselves in. He states “People create their worlds with the tools they have directly at hand. Faulty tools produce faulty results.” This passage resonates with me because it inspires me to know more, do more, and do better. I may not be able to control all aspects of my environment so I will provide myself with effective tools to help me navigate and control my surroundings. This passage is what pushed me to complete my bachelors degree and pursue higher education. It inspires me to learn more about my profession and obtain strategies that will help me enhance the world around me. If I create the world with the tools that I have. I want to be sure that my tools are effective for the future I am building for myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.resilientagency.org
• Instagram: resilient_agency
• Facebook: Michael Guedel
• Linkedin: Michael Guedel
• Youtube: resilientagencytv