I’ve lost count of the number of times, over the years, I’ve heard a good CEO friend say, “No problems, no business.” It’s an attitude that has stood him in good stead while dealing with both minor issues and full-blown existential crises.

And if there’s one word that describes him, it’s resilient.

He’s a resilient leader who has built resilient teams. Such teams don’t just endure crises; they adapt, innovate, and emerge stronger. But resilience isn’t an accident—it’s cultivated through intentional leadership, trust-building, and strategic preparation.
 

It’s a vital quality. In her book Grit: The Passion of Power and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth writes that cadets who graduated last at the United States Military Academy (West Point) frequently became more successful than those who graduated first. Her conclusion was that those who ranked at the bottom displayed greater perseverance and resilience—they were doing something that was particularly hard for them and simply would not quit. Or as Nelson Mandela put it, “Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

In a fast-moving business climate, as I wrote in my book, “Culture Ignited: 5 Disciplines for Adaptive Leadership,” corporate leaders need to be “prepared for any kind of crisis, to have a management plan in place, and to act, quickly, decisively, and with empathy when the next crisis strikes. And there will be a next crisis. There always is.”

Let’s explore how you can build a resilient team capable of leading through that next business crisis.

Preparation Before The Storm

Resilience begins long before a crisis hits. Leaders must invest in training, scenario planning, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure teams are equipped to handle disruption. For instance, organizations that regularly simulate high-pressure situations, like emergency response drills or financial stress tests, find their teams respond more effectively when real crises strike. Preparation also means fostering a culture of psychological safety, where team members feel comfortable voicing concerns, sharing ideas, and admitting mistakes without fear of retribution. This openness becomes a lifeline when rapid problem-solving is needed.

Trust As The Bedrock

During a crisis, trust is the glue that holds a team together. Leaders build trust by being consistent, transparent, and accountable. When decisions must be made quickly, team members are more likely to follow a leader they believe has their best interests at heart. Trust also flows laterally—among team members who rely on each other to execute under pressure. Leaders can strengthen this by encouraging collaboration and recognizing contributions, even amidst chaos. A team that trusts itself can pivot faster, innovate under duress, and maintain morale when the going gets tough.

Adaptability In Action

No crisis follows a script, so rigid teams crumble. Resilient teams, however, thrive on adaptability. Leaders can nurture this by empowering team members to take initiative and make decisions within clear boundaries. Micromanagement stifles agility, while autonomy, guided by a shared mission, unleashes creativity and responsiveness. Consider how tech companies shifted to remote work in 2020: leaders who trusted their teams to adapt workflows and solve logistical challenges saw productivity hold steady or even improve, while those who clung to old ways faltered.

Structural Resilience

A resilient organization is built on flexibility, not fragility. This means designing systems that can bend without breaking. During the 2008 financial crisis, companies with lean, adaptable operations weathered the storm better than those locked into rigid models. Leaders should regularly stress-test their organization’s infrastructure, asking: What happens if this fails? Where are our single points of weakness? By identifying vulnerabilities in advance, they can mitigate risks before they escalate.

Cultural Resilience

Culture is the soul of resilience. Organizations that prize learning, innovation, and collective purpose are better equipped to endure crises. A learning culture encourages employees to experiment, fail fast, and iterate—skills that become invaluable when old playbooks no longer apply. Similarly, a sense of purpose unites people around a “why” that transcends the immediate crisis. Leaders shape this culture by modeling resilience themselves—demonstrating grit, optimism, and a willingness to evolve.

Strategic Resilience

Crises often expose strategic flaws, but they also create opportunities. Resilient organizations don’t just aim to return to “normal”—they use disruption as a catalyst for growth. This requires leaders to think long-term, even in the heat of the moment. Take the retail sector during the rise of e-commerce: brick-and-mortar stores that pivoted to online platforms during economic downturns didn’t just survive—they positioned themselves for a digital future.

The Leader’s Role

Resilience isn’t a one-time achievement; it’s a muscle that must be exercised. Post-crisis, leaders must resist the urge to revert to complacency. Instead, they should debrief with their teams—what worked, what didn’t, and how can we improve? This reflection turns experience into wisdom, preparing the organization for the next challenge. Leaders also sustain resilience by caring for themselves and their people. Burnout erodes even the strongest teams, so prioritizing well-being through rest, recognition, and support ensures long-term endurance. A leader who models self-care signals that it’s not just acceptable but essential for everyone.

Conclusion

In the end, resilience is the cornerstone of enduring leadership and thriving organizations. It’s not about avoiding crises—because, as my CEO friend wisely noted, problems are the lifeblood of business—but about building teams and systems that can rise to meet them. From preparation and trust to adaptability and strategic foresight, resilience is a deliberate practice, woven into the fabric of a team’s culture and a leader’s mindset.

As we’ve seen, it’s the leaders who foster this quality—who prepare before the storm, reflect after the chaos, and prioritize both purpose and people—who guide their organizations not just to survive, but to transform challenges into opportunities for growth. In a world where the next crisis is always on the horizon, resilience isn’t just a strength—it’s the ultimate competitive edge.

Author Bio

Jason Richmond is the CEO and Chief Culture Officer at Ideal Outcomes, Inc.

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