Disaster Recovery Journal Spring 2026

Resilience at the Top: How CEOs Future-Proof Organizations

a critical truth: resilience cannot be del egated. It must be led. The chief executive officer (CEO) is uniquely positioned to serve as the chief resilience officer of the enterprise. Sitting at the intersection of strategy, finance, operations, culture, and external stakeholders, the CEO has the holistic perspective required to assess resil ience, strengthen it, and embed it into the organization’s core operating model. Resilience, when approached as a stra tegic capability rather than a defensive function, enables organizations not only to withstand disruption but to emerge stronger because of it. Defining Resilience as a Leadership Discipline Resilience can be defined as the abil ity to prepare for disruption, respond effectively when it occurs, and adapt in

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By MARGARET J. MILLETT

n an era defined by volatility, uncer tainty, and constant disruption, orga nizational resilience has become a defining leadership responsibility. Market shocks, geopolitical instabil ity, technological change, regulatory pressure, and societal expectations

now converge at unprecedented speed. While many organizations have invested in risk management, business continuity, and crisis response capabilities, research consistently shows leaders and boards continue to feel underprepared for the next major disruption. This gap highlights

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