Steel v’s Rubber
Mental toughness is often associated with an image of something unbreakable, such as steel (unyielding and forged in fire). When I joined the police force over two and a half decades ago (and for many years prior to and after), the adage was to “toughen up,” to armor themselves against stress, trauma, and relentless operational demands. And while I agree to some extent that you need the right “stomach” for the job, neuroscience and performance psychology tell a different story: real toughness looks less like steel and more like rubber. Resilience, then, might be better described as being elastic; having the capability to stretch and rebound. Either way you describe it, resiliency or elasticity (I prefer the latter), the paradox is clear: it’s the ability to be adaptable under pressure.
The False Idol of Steel Toughness
Steel has long been the metaphor of choice in the realm of mental toughness. Leaders praise the “iron will,” the “steel spine,” or the “steely-eyed,” those who push through adversity and have an unyielding quality. But steel, though strong, is brittle in the wrong conditions. Once bent beyond its limit, it fractures. This is exactly what happens when those in high-risk professions (i.e., first responders & military) are trained only to suppress, endure, and “soldier on.” This prolonged rigidity in the nervous system (hypervigilance, chronic stress, or emotional suppression) causes several challenges downstream: burnout, depression, and health deterioration (McFarlane, 2018). Research on stress physiology shows that overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system erodes decision-making, shortens emotional fuse, and increases errors in the field (Sapolsky, 2017). Like steel under repeated stress, the system fatigues and eventually breaks.
Rubber: The Adaptive Model of Toughness
Rubber, on the other hand, flexes under pressure. It absorbs impact and then returns to form. This elasticity mirrors the optimal functioning of the human nervous system: exposure to stress, followed by recovery and recalibration. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself through experience, depends on flexibility (Davidson & McEwen, 2012). Adaptive mental toughness is the capacity to encounter high stress, re-center quickly, and then re-engage with clarity. Unbreakable is not the standard; rather, it is the ability to be unshakable. In my own career, leading operations and special operations teams, I saw firsthand that officers who outlasted and thrived were not the ones who tried to bulldoze their way through adversity. They were the ones who flexed and who could shift from tactical aggression to calm in a heartbeat, from precision execution to recovery rituals without shame. Their toughness wasn’t like steel; it was more like rubber.
Science of Elastic Resilience
Several scientific principles reinforce why elasticity outperforms rigidity in first responder mental health and leadership performance:
- Allostasis Over Homeostasis Traditional models of stress emphasized balance (homeostasis). Modern neuroscience highlights allostasis: the ability to achieve stability through change (McEwen, 2007). This means that elasticity or resilience is not about “staying the same” under stress, but rather dynamically adjusting to new demands.
- The Stress-Recovery Loop Performance psychology emphasizes that stress itself is not the enemy; rather, it is the lack of recovery that is the problem. Like rubber that regains its shape after compression, first responders can thrive when micro-recovery rituals (breathing resets, sleep hygiene, or intentional decompression) are embedded into daily operations (Ellis, 2023; www.linkedin.com/in/brian-ellis-26577a27).
- Cognitive Flexibility Elastic first-responders demonstrate the ability to reframe problems, shift perspectives, and adapt strategies in volatile environments. This is not steel-like stubbornness but rubber-like agility (Kashdan & Rottenberg, 2010).
Tactical Practices of Rubber Toughness
So how do leaders build this form of elastic resilience into themselves and their teams?
- Micro-Grounding Tools Techniques like the one-minute breathing reset (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6) create physiological recovery loops even in chaotic field conditions. This keeps the nervous system elastic instead of brittle.
- Cognitive Reframing Teaching officers to see setbacks as data rather than failures helps them flex under adversity. Every mistake becomes an iteration, not a fracture (and therefore key to eliminate blame or finger-pointing, as it’s detrimental to this process).
- Recovery as Ritual Leaders must normalize recovery practices (sleep cycles, nutrition, fitness, and psychological decompression) not as luxuries but as tactical readiness requirements. Rubber returns to its original form because it is designed to do so. So should first responders.
- Adaptive Identity Work The challenge with the idea of “I never show weakness” or “always be strong” is that it works until it doesn’t. It’s a rigid identity, and we all need the ability to expand our identities to include adaptability (“I flex, recover, and return stronger”). This shift inoculates against identity burnout, a silent threat in high-stress professions (Ellis, 2024).
Leadership Implications: Rubber Teams vs. Steel Teams
Steel teams are disciplined but can be fragile. They perform until conditions change, then run the risk of falling short under the weight of unanticipated variables. Rubber teams bend and rebound, preserving both mission and morale. Leaders who enforce rigid discipline may achieve short-term obedience but will eventually face long-term attrition. The leaders who cultivate rubber-like adaptability will create sustainable cultures where toughness is measured not by suppression but by rebound velocity. This is the paradox every first responder leader must resolve: toughness without flexibility is fragility.
Action Steps for Leaders
- Audit Your Culture Ask: Do we praise suppression (steel) or adaptation (rubber)? Measure success not by hours endured but by effectiveness sustained.
- Model Recovery Leaders set the tone. When leaders demonstrate boundary setting, decompression, and adaptive flexibility, they give permission for their teams to do the same.
- Institutionalize Elastic Practices Build resilience into policy (scheduled recovery, embedded peer support, and real-time performance tools like MAGNUS|One.com that track wellbeing metrics and deliver focused education (Ellis, 2024).
Conclusion
The mythology of “steel toughness” has exacted a heavy toll on our first responder and military communities, resulting in burnout, broken families, and preventable health crises. It is time for leaders to embrace the paradox: the toughest material under pressure is not the hardest, but the most flexible. Like rubber, mental toughness bends, absorbs, rebounds, and sustains. For first responders, the future of resilience will not be measured in how hard we stand, but in how well we rebound.
References
Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689–695.
Ellis, B. (2023). Leadership reflections on resilience and recovery. Retrieved from www.linkedin.com/in/brian-ellis-26577a27
Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 865–878.
McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904.
McFarlane, A. C. (2018). The long-term costs of traumatic stress: Intertwined physical and mental health outcomes. World Psychiatry, 17(3), 249–250.
Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin Press.