In 2025, “resilience” has taken center stage as a survival skill.

Markets are jittery. Core costs continue to fluctuate unpredictably. The stock market reacts to every policy whisper and AI breakthrough with algorithmic whiplash. We’ve seen a rollercoaster of investor sentiment that’s left executives constantly rebalancing priorities.

Meanwhile, supply chains that were rebuilt after the pandemic are again under pressure. The promise of “just-in-time” has given way to “just-in-case” but even that model is starting to crack under the pressure of constant instability.

The rise of generative AI and automation is triggering workforce restructuring at an unprecedented pace. Layoffs hit across sectors as organizations scramble to rebalance roles, retrain talent, and redefine the future of work. Leaders are facing a paradoxical reality: talent shortages in key areas, alongside widespread organizational uncertainty.

Strategic plans are outdated within weeks. Risk assessments struggle to keep pace with emerging threats. All of this has created a new kind of leadership fog where decision-making feels like threading a needle in a storm.

So where does that leave us?

For Gen X executives, this isn’t our first rodeo. We’ve navigated through 9/11, the dot-com collapse, the Great Recession, the pandemic, and now the AI revolution. But this time is different because the volatility is relentless.

The old definition of resilience was about absorbing shocks and returning to normal. But that outdated model is dangerous because disruption is no longer episodic; it’s ambient. And that requires a different kind of resilience.

Leaders must build organizations that can sense early, respond fast, and evolve continuously. Embrace volatility as the terrain and architected your organization to evolve through it.

In a world that won’t stop changing, your greatest competitive advantage is not bouncing back. It's bending forward.

Let's dive in.

This Week's Insights:

• Trends: Resilient companies outperform peers by 50% in times of disruption
• Tips: Shift from rigid crisis playbooks to agile response systems
• Tools: AI tools to build adaptive sensing and scenario planning systems

TRENDS

According to McKinsey, companies that invested in dynamic resilience capabilities delivered 50% higher shareholder returns compared to their less-prepared peers. 

Gartner adds that by 2026, 60% of organizations will shift from static risk management to real-time, AI-enabled resilience frameworks, driven by the need to adapt to constant change and the pressure of fast-moving competition.

Resilience is now an intelligent system that continuously ingests data, models scenarios, reallocates resources, and empowers decentralized decision-making.

Traditional resilience was about returning to the status quo. Now, resilient organizations are all about responsiveness.

TIPS

From Annual Planning → Real-Time Scenario Modeling

• Old Model: Strategic planning once a year, with assumptions that rarely held past Q1.
• New Model: Use AI to run continuous scenario simulations and adapt strategy monthly.
• Strategy: Integrate tools like ChatGPT or Crux to simulate disruptions (policy shifts, demand drops, tech failures) and assess their cross-functional impact.
• Action Step: Designate a monthly “resilience sprint” where leaders test one scenario using AI-generated outcomes. Align response plans accordingly.

From Information Overload → Signal Intelligence Systems

• Old Model: Drowning in dashboards and email alerts, but missing weak signals of disruption.
• New Model: AI filters noise and surfaces only strategic signals as early indicators of volatility.
• Strategy: Use Feedly AI or SparkBeyond to track competitor moves, geopolitical risks, or sector trends and summarize only the critical deltas.
• Action Step: Assign each team member one key signal to monitor weekly and bring forward recommendations in leadership syncs.

From Crisis Teams → Distributed Resilience Hubs

• Old Model: Centralized crisis teams trying to coordinate all decisions during emergencies.
• New Model: Resilience embedded in every team with AI-enhanced autonomy.
• Strategy: Build “Resilience Pods” across departments. Equip them with dynamic decision trees, local risk intel, and AI-generated comms tools.
• Action Step: Use Notion + AI to create a living “Resilience Hub” template and train managers to run 30-minute micro-drills quarterly.

From Static Playbooks → Living, Adaptive Frameworks

• Old Model: Business continuity plans stored in binders or PDFs that are rarely updated, never tested.
• New Model: AI-supported resilience protocols that evolve in sync with market signals.
• Strategy: Treat playbooks as products. Use tools like Airtable or Notion to update risk frameworks live with AI input from news, internal ops, and customer data.
• Action Step: Set up a quarterly “Resilience Review” cycle with AI-generated updates to your operational contingency layers.

From Heroic Leaders → Intelligent, Empowered Teams

• Old Model: Resilience depended on a few key executives making heroic decisions under pressure.
• New Model: Resilience is systemic driven by empowered teams using AI to make localized, aligned decisions.
• Strategy: Train all leaders in basic AI literacy and scenario planning. Democratize decision tools like ChatGPT or PowerBI Copilot to empower every tier.
• Action Step: Host an internal “AI for Resilience” workshop. Equip your next-level leaders with prompts, tools, and templates they can use in moments of disruption.

TOOLS

Tool #1: ChatGPT 

Use it for real-time simulation of disruption across departments.

Prompt: “Act as Chief Strategy Officer. Simulate a scenario where demand drops by 20% and logistics costs rise 30%. Propose actions across Marketing, Ops, and HR.”

Tool #2: Feedly AI

Use it for real-time trend and risk signal detection.

Prompt: “Track weak signals related to energy policy, AI regulation, and competitor shifts in [industry]. Summarize insights weekly.”

Tool #3: Crux Intelligence

Use it for business anomaly detection and forecasting.

Prompt: “Surface performance anomalies in Q2 data across our product lines. Suggest top 3 operational risks.”

Tool #4: Zapier

Use it for automated alerts and workflow triggers from signal data.

Prompt: “When Feedly flags a risk in [category], auto-send Slack alert to Strategy team and create task in Asana.”

Tool #5: Notion + AI

Use it for living resilience playbooks and distributed team hubs.

Prompt: “Create a Resilience Command Center template including signal logs, scenario plans, and communication flows.”

What weak signal are you ignoring today that could become a crisis tomorrow?

Until next time...stay curious!

Cheers,
Nikki

PS: Hit reply and share your feedback. I’d love to hear from you!