Resilience as a Factor For Success: How to Overcome Crises And Emerge Stronger

Crises and challenges are part of working life — whether caused by economic uncertainty, digital transformation, or personal stress. But why do some people and organizations navigate difficult times more successfully than others? The answer lies in resilience: the ability to adapt, learn from setbacks, and emerge stronger.

What is Resilience? A Definition

Resilience is the ability to remain capable of action despite setbacks and stress. In organizations, resilience shows up on three levels:

• Individual resilience: How employees deal with stress, pressure, and change.
• Team resilience: The ability of a team to work effectively even during crises.
• Organizational resilience: A company’s strategic ability to adapt to challenges and market shifts.

Note: Resilience isn’t just about withstanding pressure — it’s about seeing opportunities for growth during crises.

Why Resilience is Key to Long-Term Success

• Greater adaptability: Resilient organizations respond faster to change.
• Stress resistance: Resilient leaders and teams are more productive and less prone to burnout.
• Improved decision-making: Resilience helps maintain clarity under pressure.
• Stronger culture: A resilient organization fosters trust, cohesion, and psychological safety.

Studies show that companies led by resilient managers perform better during crises and have higher employee retention.

Question for reflection: How well is your organization prepared not just to handle crises — but to grow from them?

The Five Pillars of Resilience - How to Build Strength

Resilience can be trained. Here are five decisive factors:

1. Self-awareness and reflection

Get to know yourself to manage stress consciously.
Tip: Keep a resilience journal to reflect on challenges and your responses.

2. Emotional regulation

Stay calm in tough situations. Emotional stability enables rational thinking.
Exercise: Use breathing techniques to ground yourself under stress.

3. Mental flexibility and solution focus

Being able to shift perspectives fosters innovation.
Tip: Ask yourself: What opportunity could this challenge offer?

4. Social support and trust

Strong networks are a protective shield against crises.
Exercise: Seek regular exchanges with trusted colleagues or mentors.

5. Purpose and values

Knowing your 'why' strengthens motivation.
Tip: Create a personal mission statement to guide you through difficult times.

Question for reflection: Which pillar is your strength — and where would you like to grow?

Promoting Resilience in Organizations - Best Practices 

1. Success Story: Companies with resilience programs

A study by Wertekommission and TU Munich found that resilience training significantly improved crisis management, decision-making, and innovation in leadership teams.

Actions:

• Introduce resilience coaching to boost stress resistance.
• Foster a culture that embraces learning from failure.
• Expand decision-making freedom to encourage ownership.

Results:

• 30% of leaders reported a significant drop in stress.
• Resilient companies scored higher in innovation (MW = 4.91 vs. 4.51).
• Emotional stability within leadership teams increased noticeably.

Key Takeaway: Companies that foster psychological safety and resilience are more adaptive, capable, and innovative.

2. Negative Example: Companies without resilience strategies

Organizations that neglect resilience face higher turnover, poor stress management, and ineffective decision-making.

Typical pitfalls:

• Poor crisis communication breeds mistrust.
• Limited autonomy results in reactive behavior.
• Weak failure culture stifles innovation.

Consequences:

• Higher employee turnover: Companies with low resilience have an average 20% higher turnover rate than resilient companies.
• Lower stress resistance: managers in less resilient companies only achieved an average stress resistance score of 4.35 (vs. 4.75 in resilient companies)
• Poorer decision-making under pressure, as stress and uncertainty dominate in critical situations.

Key Takeaway: Companies that do not take resilience measures lose talent, make poorer decisions and are less innovative.

What Companies Can do: Recommendations for Actions

1. Training managers as resilience coaches

Leaders with high resilience lead teams more effectively through crises.

Tip: Implement regular resilience workshops for managers.

2. Establish a learning-focus culture of error

Companies with an open culture of error are more adaptable and innovative.

Tip: Encourage transparent communication about mistakes and the lessons learned from them.

3. Strengthen psychological safety in the team

Teams with a high level of psychological safety are 26% more productive.

Tip: Managers should specifically promote trust and an open feedback culture.

4. Expand autonomy for leaders

Companies with high values for creative freedom achieved significantly better resilience results.

Tip: Managers should be encouraged to make independent decisions.

Conclusion: Resilience as a Strategic Capability

Companies that consciously invest in the resilience of their employees and managers are more successful in the long term. They not only overcome crises, but also emerge from them stronger.