Resilience Professionals‘ roles Evolving Amid Geopolitical Tensions
Table of Contents
- Resilience Professionals’ roles Evolving Amid Geopolitical Tensions
- The Expanding Role of Resilience Professionals
- Key Skills for Future Resilience Managers
- Preparing for Modern Conflict
- Boosting Resilience Capabilities
- NATO’s Increased Focus on Military Preparedness
- Evergreen Insights: understanding Resilience in a Changing World
- FAQ: Resilience Professionals and Their Evolving Roles
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The roles of resilience professionals are undergoing a significant transformation as geopolitical tensions escalate, demanding a broader skillset to navigate emerging global risks. A recent study indicates a shift from traditional business continuity to strategic resilience, requiring professionals to adapt to a complex and rapidly changing world.
The Expanding Role of Resilience Professionals
Research from the BCI’s Resilience Vision 2030 Report indicates that resilience professionals are expected to take on expanded responsibilities in the next five years. Their roles will extend beyond traditional business continuity to encompass broader strategic resilience, adapting to emerging global risks. This evolution reflects the increasing complexity of the global landscape and the need for organizations to be prepared for a wider range of potential disruptions.
Did You Know? The World economic Forum identifies failure of cybersecurity measures as one of the top 10 global risks by likelihood in its Global Risks Report 2024 [1].
Key Skills for Future Resilience Managers
The competencies deemed most critical for future resilience managers are strategic leadership (68.4%) and risk management (56.1%). these priorities underscore the growing demand for professionals capable of guiding organizations through a future possibly impacted by global conflict. the ability to anticipate, assess, and mitigate risks will be paramount in ensuring organizational stability and performance.
Supply Chain Resilience: A Critical Component
A total of 98% of respondents view managing dependencies between organizations and their suppliers as either extremely important (65.8%) or very important (32.2%) over the next five years. This highlights the critical importance of supply chain resilience knowledge for future resilience practitioners. Disruptions to supply chains can have far-reaching consequences, making it essential for organizations to have robust strategies in place to manage these risks.
Pro Tip: Regularly map your supply chain to identify vulnerabilities and develop contingency plans for critical suppliers.
Additional Essential Capabilities
Besides strategic leadership, risk management, and supply chain resilience, other prominent capabilities include crisis communications, geopolitical knowledge, and cybersecurity skills. These competencies are all required to mitigate the effects of global conflicts, pointing to a broader awareness of how global disruptions affect organizational stability and performance.
One respondent in the Resilience Vision 2030 Report emphasized the importance of these skills, stating, “Strategic leadership, risk management, and geopolitical awareness will be critical skills. Practitioners must understand not just what the risks are, but how to engage leadership and communicate potential existential threats.”
Preparing for Modern Conflict
Modern conflict extends beyond traditional battlefields, encompassing cyber domains, energy security, supply chains, communications, and data integrity. Resilience practitioners need to recognize that threats are not solely external or distant but can manifest in various forms and impact multiple aspects of an organization.
To prepare for these challenges,practitioners can implement robust horizon scanning strategies,develop incident-agnostic plans focused on organizational outcomes rather than specific threats,and form cross-departmental committees to promote systemic resilience and enhance its visibility through training and exercises.
Boosting Resilience Capabilities
Resilience practitioners lacking the future skills identified in the report may benefit from obtaining training to boost their strategic leadership, risk management, and supply chain resilience capabilities. This proactive approach will ensure they are equipped to address the effects of emerging global conflicts and broader international security challenges effectively.
| Skill | Importance |
|---|---|
| strategic Leadership | 68.4% |
| Risk Management | 56.1% |
| Supply Chain Resilience | 98% (Extremely or Very Critically important) |
NATO’s Increased Focus on Military Preparedness
At the June 2025 Hague Summit, NATO established a new benchmark allocating 3.5% of GDP to core military capabilities, with an additional 1.5% directed toward cyber defense, infrastructure, and resilience, bringing total defense spending to 5% of GDP. This focus on military preparedness suggests that governments are anticipating a prolonged period of geopolitical rivalry and potential confrontations across multiple regions.
Evergreen Insights: understanding Resilience in a Changing World
The concept of resilience has evolved significantly over the past decade, moving from a focus on business continuity to a more holistic approach that encompasses strategic planning, risk management, and adaptability. This shift reflects the increasing interconnectedness of the global economy and the growing awareness of the potential for disruptions to impact organizations in unexpected ways. as geopolitical tensions continue to rise, the ability to anticipate and respond to these disruptions will become even more critical for organizations of all sizes.
FAQ: Resilience Professionals and Their Evolving Roles
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How are the roles of resilience professionals changing?
Resilience professionals are seeing their roles expand beyond traditional business continuity to encompass broader strategic resilience, adapting to emerging global risks.
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What are the most critical skills for future resilience managers?
Strategic leadership and risk management have been identified as the most critical skills, highlighting the need for professionals who can guide organizations through potential global conflicts.
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Why is supply chain resilience knowledge important for resilience practitioners?
Managing dependencies between organizations and their suppliers is viewed as extremely or very important by 98% of respondents, underscoring the impact of global disruptions on organizational stability.
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What other capabilities are crucial for mitigating the effects of global conflicts?
Crisis communications, geopolitical knowledge, and cybersecurity skills are essential competencies for resilience practitioners to effectively address the effects of global conflicts.
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How can resilience practitioners prepare for modern conflict?
Practitioners should implement robust horizon scanning strategies, develop incident-agnostic plans, and form cross-departmental committees to promote systemic resilience.
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What training should resilience practitioners consider?
Resilience practitioners should consider training to boost their strategic leadership, risk management, and supply chain resilience capabilities to address emerging global conflicts effectively.
What strategies does your organization employ to enhance resilience in the face of global uncertainties? How are you preparing for the evolving role of resilience professionals?
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
