The DNA of the Resilient Organization: How One Collective Heartbeat Creates Continuous Competitive Advantage

In nature, DNA, the building block of all life, determines whether an organism will grow into a sleek racehorse, a sturdy Shetland pony, or a lumbering dinosaur—whether a group of cells will multiply into a healthy heart or one that kills its owner. In much the same way, an organization’s DNA will determine whether it evolves into a powerhouse or a dying company.

An organization, like a living creature, consists of many interdependent parts: people, relationships, historical events, past and present decisions, life-sustaining functions, and physical, financial and intellectual resources. A change in any one of these will affect all of the others, for better or worse, even though the effect may not be apparent for months or even years.

The DNA of the Resilient Organization shows managers and leaders how to embed resilience into their organizations’ DNA. It gives the tools for creating a results-oriented strategic plan, a sturdy infrastructure, and star-producing talent development using examples from best-in-class companies. It shows how to create the Wonder Glue of Trust, Confidence, and Motivation that makes companies become and stay successful despite challenges and crises.

Does your organization have resilience in its DNA? In nature, DNA, the building block of all life, determines whether an organism will grow into a sleek racehorse, a sturdy Shetland pony, or a lumbering dinosaur; whether a group of cells will multiply into a healthy heart or one that kills its owner. In much the same way, an organization's DNA will determine whether it evolves into a powerhouse like Apple or a dying company like Eastman Kodak. An organization, like a living creature, consists of a complex set of cells and organs: people, relationships, historical events, past and present decisions, life-sustaining functions, and physical, financial and intellectual resources. A change in any one of these will affect all of the others, for better or worse, even though the effect may not be apparent for months or even years.The collective heartbeat of the resilient organization allows it to respond quickly and effectively to any threat or opportunity. Too many companies lack that ability; fear dictates their every decision and action. When a threat appears, they hastily slash budgets and lay people off; then, even less able than they were to deal with the threat, they sicken and die. In sharp contrast, the resilient company relies on courage, audacity and firm resolve to conquer the threat and move forward. Its people trust one another. They hold fast to the organization's vision and goals; they know its systems will support their efforts. They act boldly. They take risks.Any great leader can successfully pull an individual, a team or an entire organization through a crisis. But doing that time after time takes great effort and frequently pulls limited resources from other important activities. That's why it makes sense to embed resilience into the organization's DNA, to construct a framework and sharpen the tools that enable everyone to draw on the collective heartbeat to get the job done quickly and well. In this era of unprecedented change, sustaining success boils down to one simple question: Will you let fear paralyze you or force you into hasty, self-destructive decisions or will you install the DNA you need to evolve into a sleek, self-propelling organization? The DNA of the Resilient Organization shows managers and leaders how to embed resilience into their organizations to make them crisis-proof, to achieve their vision despite obstacles. It provides the tools for creating a results-oriented strategic plan, a sturdy infrastructure, and star-producing talent development, using examples from best-in-class companies around the world. With these tools, an organization can create a collective heartbeat and become internally stronger and more resilient so it can meet challenges and seize opportunities as they arise. Each time the organization overcomes a challenge, the processes and tools for resilience become more firmly embedded in its DNA, so the process is self-sustaining. The organization will be able to create the Wonder Glue of trust, confidence, and motivation that makes companies become and stay successful.