Learning to be agile

Cynthia A. Lietz and Breanna M. Carpenter Lietz

Chapter 9 in How to Build Resilience in College Students, 2026, pp 96-103 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Agility involves the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Based on our research, agility in the context of resilience involves two related strengths: creativity and flexibility. Creativity is the ability to find multiple solutions to a problem, whereas flexibility is the willingness to try new things. Both of these internal strengths are needed to be agile because being creative is not particularly helpful if a young person does not act on new solutions. The flexibility to consider and try new things is essential to making creativity a part of the process of resilience. In this chapter, we will talk about how these things work together and offer some tools that student services professionals and faculty can use in building a student's capacity for creativity and flexibility. We will then close with a story that highlights the importance of agility in activating resilience in college students.

Keywords: Resilience; College students; Protective factors; Agility; Creativity; Flexibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035365081
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