Uncertainty has become a daily reality for leaders across industries. What does ‘resilient leadership’ look like in this environment?
In the management realm, resilience is about the ability to manage uncertainty proactively by shifting from a reactionary mode of leadership to a proactive mode of leadership. Resilient organizations try to plan for the future as best they can by managing through scenarios that are informed by a wide-lens view.
I recently worked with a global, vertically integrated apparel brand to tackle this very issue as its business grew. We focused on creating three intensive scenarios, which incorporated very real political, social and economic scenarios that could hinder growth. We looked at every function and department and together we asked, ‘If this happens, what will we do?’ By coming up with concrete scenarios, you can be ready when a major macro disruption occurs — like geopolitical tensions or trade wars. This is a very different stance from waiting for things to happen and then saying, ‘Oh gosh, a trade war has hit. What are we going to do?’
Given the state of the
