We’re no stranger to the research done on what employees can learn from elite sports: from lessons in entrepreneurship to how to build a sports team at work.All successful athletes have one thing in common- their ability to overcome difficulties to achieve success. Which is why when Olympic Gold medallist Tom Daley elected to give us his perspective on resilience, we knew there would be many nuggets of wisdom for both employees and employers.Resilience, which is a person’s ability to bounce-back from adversity, is increasingly touted as the secret to happy children, successful sports stars, and perhaps powerful workforces. In fact, 52% of people have post-traumatic growth- which means they don’t just ‘bounce back’, but grow as a consequence of personal challenge. So, what are Tom’s tips for developing resilience?Thrive with changeBe honest and authenticProtect your mental space1) Thrive with changeOne of the constants in both the workplace and life is change.But very often, individuals find it difficult to cope with change, which sometimes leads to increased stress and anxiety.“I think often, people get really scared and worried about change. And for me, change brings with it its own challenges, but it also brings new opportunities,” Tom said, in discussion with YuLife co-founder and COO Sam Fromson. “I've had to change lots of things, just within my diving career: I moved to London, changed coach, learnt a new dive that nobody had done before.”It is worth noting that change must’ve been particularly stressful for the elite athlete- who carried an entire country’s hopes and expectations on his shoulders.But what helped him deal with change was reframing it- “With change comes risks, but then with risks there's rewards. It all comes down to perspective.”2) Be honest and authenticA 14-year-old Tom stepped into the public eye at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, competing with divers a decade his senior in dives the height of three-storey buildings. He’s been publicly and physically exposed as a sports star for well over a decade – “It is odd to have a job where I wear more clothes to bed than I do” – but it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Tom didn’t win his much pursued and coveted gold medal until 12 years later. This was after he came out to the public in a industry where sexuality’s often shrouded, he survived body criticism from coaches – and he’s still smiling, and arguably thriving. “I mean, I think if you've ever carried anything that's like a real big burden on you, it's going to weigh you down in one way or another. So I think being able to [be honest] I do think it was kind of like a thing that unlocked the potential that I had because I didn't have to have so many worries about what this person found out or what happens if I got outed. There's all these things that you worry about, and actually once you can kind of get that off your chest, you can just focus on the things that really matter and move forward.” 3) Protect your mental spaceOne of the ways to develop resilience is to be choiceful with the influences you let into your life and to focus on the right ones.“That's one of the big things that we learn within sports psychology- it's to only follow people that inspire you or make you laugh or motivate you to be better.”One of the main ways that Tom does this is by curating his social media influences.“If ever you are following someone that isn't doing that to you either unfollow them or meet them, because it's not worth it. [Social media] can be a very uplifting, positive space but also can be quite dangerous if you read too much into comments and things like that. During the Olympics, I actually turned the comments off of my posts - not necessarily the comments off - but so that I couldn't see them.”The truth is that you can’t prevent life’s ups and downs, but you can gain the tools to adapt and grow. If you’d like to learn more tips and strategies to help your employees deal with challenges and strong emotions at work, download the ebook below. What the eBook covers:How to manage employee fear and anxietyHow to help your people perform in crunch timeHow to encourage your employees to take breaks when they need itHow to create a workplace culture that embraces difference