Operational resilience has become one of the most pressing priorities for boards and executives. Disruptions are no longer rare events. They are constant features of today’s operating environment. The test of leadership is not whether a policy exists, but whether critical services can continue when systems fail, resources are stretched, and multiple problems demand attention at once.

In my work with boards and CROs, I find the same pattern: most organisations have resilience frameworks, but they are often treated as compliance exercises. High-performing organisations take a different approach. They treat resilience as a strategic capability that safeguards clients, strengthens confidence, and turns disruption into advantage.

So, what does this look like in practice? A clear, structured roadmap helps leaders focus on what matters most.

The Five Steps

1. Identify What Matters Most
Map critical services end to end, define intolerable harms to clients and markets, and assign ownership to accountable leaders.

2. Define and Test Tolerances
Set measurable thresholds for disruption and run severe but plausible scenarios across people, technology, and third parties.

3. Strengthen Core Capabilities
Build incident response and crisis playbooks, integrate oversight of change, cyber, and supply chain risk, and align resilience with culture and leadership accountability.

4. Embed Into Governance
Ensure resilience features in board reporting, link escalation thresholds to executive decision triggers, and enable oversight functions to provide assurance.

5. Monitor and Evolve Continuously
Use dashboards and key indicators to track resilience, apply test–learn–adapt cycles after each disruption, and benchmark maturity against global standards.

Signs Resilience Is Embedded

Resilient organisations show consistent signs: recovery times improve with reduced client impact, escalation occurs early with clear triggers, scenario testing drives board-level action, and supply chain risks are actively managed. Most importantly, cross-functional reviews become more candid and solution-focused.

From Compliance to Competitive Edge

Operational resilience is not just about regulatory expectations. It is about protecting what matters most and enabling organisations to deliver under pressure. The sooner resilience becomes embedded in governance and strategy, the sooner it becomes a competitive edge.

If you are interested in benchmarking your own organisation’s readiness, I have created a short Operational Resilience Assessment to help boards and executives identify strengths, gaps, and next steps.

By Julien Haye

Keywords: Business Continuity, GRC, Risk Management

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