Episode 21: Why most companies fail at resilience—and how to fix it
Published on 25 February 2025 • Hosted by Dr Lisa Colledge
The illusion of resilience
Companies know resilience is critical—but most don’t know how to build it. A recent study found that 84% of leaders globally feel unprepared for disruptions, and 90% admit they lack the resilience capabilities they need.
The top disruptors keeping leaders awake at night include:
Technology disruption: AI, automation, cybersecurity threats.
Regulatory changes: data privacy laws, climate policies.
Economic instability: inflation, trade shifts, financial crises.
Market shifts: changing consumer preferences, supply chain breakdowns.
Talent shortages: workforce expectations, skill gaps, retention.
Where companies go wrong
Instead of adapting, most companies focus on risk management—bracing for impact instead of shaping their future.
The Private Sector Resilience Framework, developed by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey, identifies four core resilience capabilities that can be applied in multiple dimensions:
Crisis response: handling immediate disruptions.
Strategic reorientation: adjusting to long-term shifts.
Foresight: anticipating and planning for change.
Preparation: embedding resilience into daily operations.
Yet, most organizations only focus on the short-term dimensions of financial and operational resilience, neglecting the strategic and workforce dimensions that drive true adaptability.
The missing link: cognitive inclusion
If companies want long-term resilience, they need a culture that values cognitive diversity and psychological safety.
Cognitive diversity ensures a mix of thinking styles instead of conformity—big-picture strategists, risk-averse planners, and rapid innovators.
Psychological safety ensures that diverse thinkers feel safe to challenge ideas and collaborate.
Cognitive inclusion ensures that different thinking styles actually connect and work together.
Teams with high cognitive diversity and psychological safety experience a 3x increase in innovation, and when paired with strong organizational support, they experience a 6x boost.
A practical first step: a free resource for leaders
I discuss three action steps in this podcast, but if you want to get started experimenting with cognitive inclusion as your resilience strategy—without waiting for the whole organization to get on board—I have created a free resource for you.
Neuro-Inspired: 12 Steps to a Future-Proof Workplace Culture is a structured, manageable, monthly step-by-step guide to experimenting with cognitive inclusion in your team. Learn more by:
Listening to my podcast, Episode 18: The power of cognitive inclusion - your first step toward a future-proof workplace.
Visiting this page where you can also sign up: Neuro-Inspired: 12 Steps to a Future-Proof Workplace Culture.
Extra resources
Listen to more information about cognitive diversity and inclusion, and why this single initiative is the most effective driver of innovation: Episode 19 - Reviving our evolutionary superpower: why teams need cognitive balance.
Literature sources I drew on for this podcast were:
World Economic Forum with McKinsey (2025) White Paper: Resilience Pulse Check: Harnessing Collaboration to Navigate a Volatile World: statistics on preparedness; top concerns for leaders; misalignment in resilience; and the IKEA case study.
Jacqueline Brassey, Aaron de Smet and Dana Maor with Sheida Rabipour (2024) Developing a resilient, adaptable workforce for an uncertain future: difference between resilience and adaptability; statistics about psychological safety and innovation; and the need for a clear purpose (“North Star”).
Bob Sternfels, Daniel Pacthod, Kurt Strovink and Wyman Howard (2024) The art of 21st century leadership: From succession planning to building a leadership factory: leadership as the biggest driver of resilience; Leadership Factory model; traits of out-dated and modern leadership; importance of servant leadership.
I'm Lisa, and I take inspiration from neurodivergence-inclusion to help leaders create cognitively inclusive cultures that connect people with different cognitive styles, empowering everyone to contribute their best.
If you'd like to learn more about how prioritizing this single program would help you to boost not only engagement and wellbeing, but also innovation and resilience, please take a look at my free signature program: Neuro-Inspired: 12 Steps to a Future-Proof Workplace Culture.
