The Network for Coaching and Mentoring Entrepreneurs brought entrepreneurship programme managers together in March 2025 to hear from Christina Richardson, former tech entrepreneur and leader of Foundology. Christina’s research, the Founder Resilience Report published at the end of 2024 – takes a deep dive into the latest founder health snapshot, their psychological states and the critical trait of resilience, based on data from nearly 400 entrepreneurs. The findings highlighted the shocking statistic that 93% of founders report signs of mental health strain. The report uncovered just how important resilience is to founder performance and more importantly how to build it, kickstarting a playbook for a life of founderhood. This NCME meeting was focused on how coaching plays an important role in building resilience for entrepreneurs.
What does it mean to be resilient?
By using the validated Brief Resilience Scale as part of the research, it was possible to derive tangible insights on the meaning of founder resilience. First, it is important to highlight three key differences between high and low resilience scorers as shown in the Founder Resilience Report. High resilience scorers:
- Report better health and show less symptoms of mental health strain such as stress, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed, whereas low resilience scorers experience more symptoms of mental health strain and are more likely to consider quitting.
- Are more confident, motivated, and high-performing. They are less likely to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious compared to low resilience scorers.
- Respond to challenges by increasing their performance and motivation, while low resilience scorers experience a decline in motivation and an increase in stress and worry.
Further, 92% of founders believe resilience is the most important skill for success as an entrepreneur, surpassing problem-solving, communication, and sales skills. While we can easily offer workshops on communication and sales, how can resilience be built? This is where coaching comes in.
How does coaching help?
One way that resilience can be built is through coaching, with data showing that coaching has a significant impact on resilience. Founders who participate in coaching programs report higher resilience scores, improved confidence, better decision-making, and reduced feelings of loneliness. The group coaching model delivered by Foundology has proven to have positive results. These sessions create a safe space for founders to discuss their challenges and receive support from peers and coaches. Christina explained that even short interventions, such as three months of group coaching, can have a significant impact on resilience and performance. There could also be differences in the type of coaching provided. For example, group coaching offers shared learning and affordability, while individual coaching allows for deeper exploration of personal challenges and specific goals.
Other mechanisms though which resilience can be built are protecting performance habits and developing resilient thinking. Protecting performance habits includes for example taking regular breaks, exercising, and maintaining a sleep routine. High resilience scorers prioritise these habits despite feeling guilty about taking time off. Resilient thinking such as cognitive reframing, focusing on benefits and lessons learned from adversity, and using challenges as opportunities for growth can also help build resilience.
So, what next?
For entrepreneurship programme managers, some of the next steps that emerged to support founders were:
- While many entrepreneurship programmes offered to students currently focus on mentoring, ensure that a coaching programme is also provided to help build founder resilience early. Imperial Enterprise Lab for example have recently announced a Founder Mindset and Performance Coaching programme.
- Rather than a stand-alone workshop on, or a series of 2-3 standalone coaching meetings, a workshop should be designed for inclusion, early on and within the coaching programme to discuss the entrepreneurial journey and the importance of performance habits.
- Lastly, the impact of a coaching programme should be evaluated using metrics such as increased confidence, better decision-making and leadership development.
The Founder Resilience report and this NCME meeting have highlighted that not only is coaching an important intervention to build founder resilience, this also needs to take the form of a well-managed coaching programme to ensure the best outcome of highly resilient founders.
Author: Professor Harveen Chugh, April 2025
With thanks to Christina Richardson
Having spent almost a decade as a tech-entrepreneur, Christina Richardson knows first-hand the health challenges of founderhood and leading a fast-growth startup. Christina leads Foundology, which provides coaching, peer-learning and cathartic community support for founders. Christina is also Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship at University College London, where she trains the next generation of founders for the journey, having launched the first dedicated founder-leadership MSc programme within enterprise education.