Building individual and organisational resilience through culture
Written by Dan Parry • 16 September, 2025
Leadership Article
Business resilience gives individuals and organisations a little extra grip, particularly in slippery times of change and uncertainty. A survival plan isn’t enough. Businesses need to thrive, even in the face of difficulty. Geopolitical uncertainties, the rise of AI, cyber-attacks, and climate-related events can hand a considerable advantage to competitors. Business resilience levels the field.
Business resilience is an underlying persistent ability to withstand shocks and developments. It allows people and organisations to smoothly ride out a storm no matter how choppy things get. This is different to crisis management, which as a short-term reaction to unexpected challenges tends to lead to sudden lurches towards solutions that can leave people feeling a little seasick.
Business resilience involves developing the long-term capacity to anticipate change, absorb pressure, and successfully navigate difficulty. At its core, business resilience relies on a company culture that combines foresight, flexibility, and emotional intelligence. People and teams who are skilled in tackling uncertainty are better able to protect productivity, whether during sudden challenges (like Covid) or through periods of ambiguity (like the rise of AI).
Customers and partners are more likely to stay loyal in times of turbulence when leaders have the resilience to communicate openly and act with integrity. Meanwhile, employees who feel supported and trusted are better able to adapt under pressure.
Building business resilience is a deliberate, ongoing process that involves the following steps:
In a culture that embraces trust, respect, belonging, and psychological safety, people know they have the time and space to adapt to change and cope with challenges. In this atmosphere, they are more likely to engage with the task at hand, committing to their team and organisation. This mindset brings people together, we call it social wellbeing and we encourage it as a first step to building a culture of resilience. Discover more about social wellbeing in our Complete Guide to Wellbeing. By offering training sessions on building resilience, leaders are investing in the future of their people and their organisation. At Working Voices, our Building Resilience training course helps participants discover typical stress triggers, develop coping strategies, and learn to manage feelings, control behaviours, and overcome ‘confidence-killers’.
A prevailing culture of social wellbeing encourages open-mindedness and flexibility. Leaders are ready to adapt to challenge and change, staying alert to risks – from market volatility and technological disruption to climate events and supply chain fragility. Risk mapping and scenario planning help leaders anticipate challenges rather than simply react to them. A readiness to react allows for a smoother journey through uncertainty. This is a better approach than leaving it to the last minute to face up to new or difficult circumstances.
Reduce vulnerability by diversifying suppliers, maintaining flexible operations, and embedding redundancy into critical functions. Technology plays a key role too: reliable data management, secure tech systems, and adaptable digital infrastructure form the backbone of operational resilience. After disruptions, businesses should reflect on what worked and what didn’t, and adapt accordingly. By treating resilience as a strategic discipline rather than a one-off project, organisations can not only withstand shocks but even turn them into opportunities for growth and innovation.
With businesses facing a range of threats, from cyber-attacks and supply chain fragility to geopolitical tensions and climate events, resilience requires ongoing investment and commitment in areas such as:
Unpredictable events, from pandemics to geopolitical tensions, can upend markets overnight. Resilient businesses plan for multiple scenarios, allowing them to pivot with minimal disruption. Resilience is about learning, evolving, and investing in readiness – protecting people, systems, and reputation alike.
Companies that respond proactively to change and uncertainty are more likely to retain staff, improve morale, and reduce absenteeism. Ultimately, individual and organisational strength in depth are inextricably linked. One is unlikely to succeed without the other, both are united by culture – and this therefore is the starting point for resilience.
Click here for more expert tips and advice on building business resilience, from our trainer Karl Brown.
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The founder and CEO of Working Voices, Nick Smallman has been at the top of his profession for 25 years. Advising global blue-chip clients on engagement, productivity, and retention, he counsels leaders on increasing revenue via simple cultural adjustments.
Overseeing the successful expansion of Working Voices across the UK, the US, Asia, and the Middle East, Nick supports the leadership and communication capabilities of clients in a wide range of sectors. In particular, he has advised companies such as JP Morgan, Barclays, Sony, Nomura, M&S, and Blackrock for more than 15 years.
Developing his reputation for thought leadership, in recent years Nick has been leading work on The Sustainable Human, the subject of his forthcoming book. A concept unique to Working Voices, The Sustainable Human offers a package of solutions focusing on leadership enablement, future skills, and cultural harmony.
Working closely with HR specialist Mercer, Nick has developed solutions to four key modern workplace challenges:
“I’m excited to share the conclusions of three years of research that, if implemented, can make an immediate practical difference to leaders and their organisations.”
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