Resilient Leadership Approaches

Leaders need to have reserves of resilience to deal with crises as they arise. If as a leader you are depleted and running on empty when a crisis occurs, it's very hard to operate at your best. The world got a lesson in the value of supply chains and the consequences of what happens when they break down during the pandemic. But for supply chains to be always on, the people who run them can’t be. And that goes for all of us, even if we don't work in supply chains!   Here is some advice I shared with supply chain leaders at the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)'s Connect 2024 conference. ➡️  Most important: You have to put on your own oxygen mask first. Too many leaders still buy into the misguided notion that urgent or chaotic times require them to be in constant motion and always on, or that they somehow have to match the frenetic pace of the moment. In fact, the opposite is true. Because it is judgment that we need from leaders in moments of crisis, not just stamina. So it starts with prioritizing well-being for yourself, and being a role model for well-being to give others the permission to do the same. ➡️ Technology is a double-edged sword: Technology accelerates burnout when we try to be always on. What's funny is how much better care we take of our technology than ourselves. But unlike machines, humans have to unplug to recharge. In the human operating system, downtime is a feature, not a bug. ➡️ The qualities that define a successful leader: Empathy, being able to listen, being open to new voices. Not just being a broadcaster all the time, but being a receiver as well. It first requires not constantly being in fight-or-flight mode. We can’t be open to others and their creativity and innovation when we’re marinating in stress hormones and just trying to get through the day or through the next hour. ➡️ To create a Thriving Culture: Communication is key! One of our core values at Thrive is Compassionate Directness, which empowers team members to surface feedback or any problems and challenges they’re having in real time. That allows not only team members to course-correct and grow, but the company as well. In any company, and certainly in supply chains, there are obstacles to growing the bottom line. There are challenges with engagement and innovation. Wouldn’t you want to know those sooner rather than later? Knowing them — and getting to work in solving them — in real time as they arise has huge benefits to all the metrics that go into the bottom line. ➡️ And finally: Well-being needs to be embedded into the fabric of company culture and into the workflow. A company is only as resilient as its people so an investment in the healthy future of your employees is an investment in the future of your company. To build resilience into your industry, you have to build it into your people.

Stop glorifying aggressive leadership. Start thinking like a farmer. I've coached hundreds of leaders, and here's what I've learned: Pressure kills potential. Force creates resistance. But nurture? It transforms. 7 practices that actually work: 1. Create space for growth 🌱 ↳ Stop shouting. Start listening. ↳ Your team needs oxygen, not pressure. 2. Own the environment 🌍 ↳ Bad results? Look at the soil first. ↳ Culture eats strategy for breakfast. 3. Trust the process 🕐 ↳ Growth happens in silence. ↳ Judge outcomes, not daily progress. 4. Match talent to terrain 🎯 ↳ Right person, wrong role = slow death. ↳ Your job is to spot the fit. 5. Feed what matters 💧 ↳ Recognition builds confidence. ↳ Learning fuels innovation. 6. Address toxicity early ⚠️ ↳ One bad apple spoils the barrel. ↳ Have the tough conversations today. 7. Plan for seasons 🌦️ ↳ High performance isn't linear. ↳ Build resilience before the storm. Real leadership isn't about control. It's about creating conditions for growth. You can force compliance. Or you can nurture commitment. Your choice shapes your harvest. What's one practice you're implementing next?

👩🏽💻Unique lessons drawn from Ukraine’s “IT army” of cyber volunteers, well described by Anna Lysenko & Seva Gunitsky Inspiring learnings for nations concerned with their resilience : the practical example of civilian cyber-mobilization of the #ITAU offers key insights into a new possible role of civilian participation in conflicts-especially in the information & cyber space. 👨🏻💻🧑💻Russia’s invasion led to the emergence of a new actor: the IT Army of Ukraine (ITAU), a volunteer cyber force that countered Russian disinformation and targeted its digital spaces. 🇺🇦 the ITAU presents a unique case of a state encouraging the creation of a large-scale, decentralized volunteer cyber force. 🔹”Given Russia’s proclivity for “hybrid warfare” and history of past aggression to its neighbors, it is not surprising that states around Russia have previously turned to civilian mobilization in information warfare.” 🔹”As a civilian cyber-defense force created in response to Russian aggression, the ITAU found a precedent Estonia’s Cyber Defense Unit (CDU), established in 2011 after Russian cyberattacks on Estonian infrastructure.” 🇪🇪 Like the ITAU, the CDU is comprised of civilian volunteers who assist the government in defending critical digital assets during crises. 🔹The democratization of warfare is especially significant in the digital realm. With cyberattacks, individuals and small groups can disrupt enemy communications, gather intelligence, and spread disinformation. Social media platforms have become powerful civilian tools for influence operations, enabling non-combatants to shape public opinion, both domestically and internationally. 🔹the authors argue that the ITAU contributed to Ukraine’s political victory in the Battle of Kyiv by projecting national resilience to both domestic audiences and international observers. 👨🏻💻By countering Russian cyberattacks and mounting its own offensive campaigns, the ITAU not only disrupted enemy capabilities but also bolstered domestic morale and helped shape global perceptions of Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. 🛡️ This resistance contributed to Ukraine’s overall hybrid resilience in the crucial opening months of the invasion. 🧑💻More broadly, the ITAU reflects a growing shift in cyber conflict away from covert technical sabotage toward visible, politically charged campaigns aimed at controlling narratives and influencing perceptions. 🙏🏻 to the authors

Strategy or titles don’t set the best leaders apart. Their humanity does. Too many leaders fall into the trap of crushing spirits for quick wins, sacrificing wellbeing for metrics, or trading humanity for efficiency. But leadership can be different. According to Gallup, teams with engaged leaders are 39% more likely to deliver above-average results. When toxic leadership stops: ❌ Creating unnecessary urgency ❌ Avoiding difficult conversations ❌ Making impossible demands ❌ Blaming others for failures ❌ Using fear as motivation ❌ Withholding information ❌ Playing favorites And when they choose instead to: ✅ Lead by example ✅ Trust their people ✅ Set realistic timelines ✅ Invest in team’s growth ✅ Support work-life harmony ✅ Create psychological safety ✅ Listen with genuine interest This isn't just theory - I've lived both sides. I’ll never forget when a senior leader stopped to help me design better spreadsheets early in my career. Instead of dismissing it as “not his problem,” he spent an hour walking me through how to make them clearer for executives. He later became my mentor. His belief in me gave me the courage to apply to an Ivy League MBA program. One hour of his time changed the trajectory of my career. Every interaction is a choice. Whether it’s your next 1:1, team meeting, or email; Choose today and every day to be the leader you wished you had. P.S. What's one human leadership practice you wish was standard in every workplace? 👉 Tag a leader who’s made a difference in your life Follow me, Jill Avey for more leadership insights

“We’ll handle it.” That phrase almost broke my team. When I was GC at a fast-scaling company, every week delivered a fresh storm of priorities. Revenue teams needed faster contracts. Finance demanded spend reductions. Product launched AI pilots without legal review. And leadership expected Legal to move at the speed of execution without ever slowing the business. I tried to say yes. I thought it showed partnership. But it created confusion and resentment. We delivered everything, and somehow, it still wasn’t enough. This pressure is accelerating in the age of AI. Expectations scale. Resources don’t. And Legal is often the last to be consulted but the first to be blamed. The problem is not capability. It’s clarity. The most effective GCs are not trying to cover every ask. They are naming the tradeoffs, translating risk into business language, and building frameworks that help executives choose with intent. One reframed AI pilots by mapping value to risk. She launched only in low-friction areas and backed it with data. Her dashboard showed where Legal accelerated deals rather than blocked them. That shift earned trust. Another made it a habit to name tradeoffs in meetings. Instead of reacting to urgency, he paused and asked which path best supported this quarter’s strategy. That question changed how the business saw Legal. Not as a bottleneck, but as a navigator. I share more on this shift in my latest newsletter: The Most Dangerous Answer a GC Can Give: Yes to Everything. Legal cannot automate its way out of impossible asks. But it can clarify the choices, make risk visible, and help the business decide what truly matters. What’s one tradeoff you’ve made that shaped better decisions? #GC #AI #CorporateCounsel -------- 🚀 Olga V. Mack 🔹 Building trust in commerce, contracts & products 🔹 Sales acceleration advocate 🔹 Keynote Speaker | AI & Business Strategist 📩 Let’s connect & collaborate 📰 Subscribe to Notes to My (Legal) Self

Uncertainty isn’t the enemy of leadership. Silence in uncertainty is. Markets shift. Geopolitics flare. Technology disrupts. No leader can predict exactly what comes next. The mistake isn’t saying “I don’t know.” The mistake is leaving it there. Silence creates space for fear. Scenarios create space for confidence. The leaders I know say this: “We don’t know the future…But here are three ways it could play out, and here’s how we’ll respond to each.” That shift replaces anxiety with structure. Here’s how scenarios guide decisions: 1. Best Case → Maximise Opportunity • If growth rebounds, be ready to scale • Line up resources and move first • Optimism matters only if you’re prepared 2. Base Case → Navigate Steady State • In uneven recovery discipline wins • Tier your investments • Forecast cash tightly • Normalise quarterly adjustments 3. Worst Case → Build Resilience • Protect non-negotiables • Pre-approve cost levers • Over-communicate with empathy, reinforce purpose • Trust is forged in downturns, not booms. The real power is in cascading this skill to teams: → Model vulnerability (“I don’t know yet”) → Teach them to sketch 3 scenarios in 15 minutes → Anchor every path to concrete actions → Repeat until it becomes part of culture At 6 months, fear gives way to clarity. At 2 years, resilience becomes second nature. Remember, great leaders don’t eliminate uncertainty. They equip their people to move confidently within it. That’s how you scale trust, resilience, and momentum, inside your company and across your partnerships. --------------------------- Avoid missing insights like this. Get cheatsheets like this each Wednesday. Subscribe to my free newsletter: https://philhsc.com ➕ Follow me, Phil Hayes-St Clair for more like this.

I was Wrong about Influence. Early in my career, I believed influence in a decision-making meeting was the direct outcome of a strong artifact presented and the ensuing discussion. However, with more leadership experience, I have come to realize that while these are important, there is something far more important at play. Influence, for a given decision, largely happens outside of and before decision-making meetings. Here's my 3 step approach you can follow to maximize your influence: (#3 is often missed yet most important) 1. Obsess over Knowing your Audience Why: Understanding your audience in-depth allows you to tailor your communication, approach and positioning. How: ↳ Research their backgrounds, how they think, what their goals are etc. ↳ Attend other meetings where they are present to learn about their priorities, how they think and what questions they ask. Take note of the topics that energize them or cause concern. ↳ Engage with others who frequently interact with them to gain additional insights. Ask about their preferences, hot buttons, and any subtle cues that could be useful in understanding their perspective. 2. Tailor your Communication Why: This ensures that your message is not just heard but also understood and valued. How: ↳ Seek inspiration from existing artifacts and pickup queues on terminologies, context and background on the give topic. ↳ Reflect on their goals and priorities, and integrate these elements into your communication. For instance, if they prioritize efficiency, highlight how your proposal enhances productivity. ↳Ask yourself "So what?" or "Why should they care" as a litmus test for relatability of your proposal. 3. Pre-socialize for support Why: It allows you to refine your approach, address potential objections, and build a coalition of support (ahead of and during the meeting). How: ↳ Schedule informal discussions or small group meetings with key stakeholders or their team members to discuss your idea(s). A casual coffee or a brief virtual call can be effective. Lead with curiosity vs. an intent to respond. ↳ Ask targeted questions to gather feedback and gauge reactions to your ideas. Examples: What are your initial thoughts on this draft proposal? What challenges do you foresee with this approach? How does this align with our current priorities? ↳ Acknowledge, incorporate and highlight the insights from these pre-meetings into the main meeting, treating them as an integral part of the decision-making process. What would you add? PS: BONUS - Following these steps also expands your understanding of the business and your internal network - both of which make you more effective. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

Beyond our ability to weather storms, developing conflict resilience is about redefining how we navigate through them. Over my career, I’ve seen how clinging to outdated models of conflict management stifles organizational growth. While scenario planning remains a professional cornerstone, true resilience demands agility: The courage to pivot frameworks when they no longer serve our people or purpose. Senior leaders are responsible for anchoring their teams, shielding them from distractions that dilute momentum while driving human-centric strategies that pre-empt volatility. This means refusing to overpromise, resolving tensions with urgency, and embedding radical transparency into every dialogue. Equally critical is consistently communicating what’s next. Clarifying how the organization plans to refocus, reallocate, or reinvent goes a long way in building team trust. The goal isn’t to avoid conflict. It’s to build teams that don’t fear it. Teams don’t need perfection. They need clarity, consistency, and the confidence that their leaders see conflict not as a disruption, but as a catalyst for evolution. #Leadership #ConflictResilience #HumanCentric #PeopleFirst #TeamBuilding

We’ve all seen how quickly a single moment on social media can spiral. One tone-deaf comment, one AI-generated response that misses the mark, or just a slow internal handoff and suddenly, your brand is trending for all the wrong reasons. When I started building our AI-First Mindset™ transformation program, I knew we couldn’t just focus on opportunity. We also had to prepare leaders for risk and that includes public-facing crises fueled by speed and automation. That’s why I developed a new module focused on building a social media crisis management plan designed for today’s AI-powered workplace. We cover the essentials: • How to build a clear, flexible crisis communication plan • The best crisis management tools to monitor and respond in real time • How to define team roles across marketing, legal, leadership and tech • And how to account for AI-powered systems that can escalate issues if not handled properly In a world where content and backlash move at machine speed, your people need clarity. That starts with a plan that’s actually usable and practiced before the pressure hits. This isn’t about fear. It’s about preparation. AI adoption comes with incredible potential, but it also changes how we manage trust. A good crisis response needs to e part of your broader AI change management strategy. If your team is using AI but hasn’t revisited your crisis plan, now’s the time. Stay tuned for practical guidance on creating crisis plans that perform under pressure. #DigitalCrisisStrategy #CrisisCommunication #CrisisResponse #DigitalCrisis #SocialMediaCrisis

📡 𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿: 𝟯 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁, 𝟯 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 Since 2022, Ukraine has defended not just its territory—but its networks. Over 12,000 cyber incidents have hit critical infrastructure, from energy and telecom to government registries. These attacks weren’t isolated—they were synchronized with missile strikes and deepfake propaganda, aiming to destabilize, spy, and undermine public trust. 🔍 What makes this war different? Hybrid warfare is real – Cyber operations actively support kinetic attacks. People are the primary targets – Deepfakes, fake news, and phishing drive cognitive warfare. Resilience was built under fire – Ukraine migrated critical systems to the cloud, rebuilt fast, and fostered deep cooperation across government, industry, and civil society. 🇺🇦 Ukraine has become a living laboratory for cyber warfare, offering real-time insights to NATO and EU allies. Their experience shows: - Threat sharing is essential. - Supply chain compromise and persistent access are the new normal. - Digital readiness is now part of national defense. #cyberwarfare #ukraine #digitalsecurity #hybridconflict #cyberresilience #nato #cyberstrategy #infowar #criticalinfrastructure #deepfakes #misinformation #supplychainsecurity #nationalsecurity