GERHARD WHEELER | Head of Reserves, Universal Defence and Security Solutions

We live in an age of disruption. Our open and highly networked societies are becoming increasingly vulnerable to threats that once often remained local in scope but can now unfold shockingly quickly and cause damage across the globe. The imperative for businesses to become more resilient – better able to survive operational disruptions – is clear, but where should they look for inspiration? 

This paper suggests that a good start point is to look at lessons learned by military commanders who run organizations that are specifically designed to respond to crises. Drawing on historical examples from military campaigns, it outlines a battle-tested framework for resilience. Built around the need to anticipate, detect, deter, withstand, respond, and recover from threats, the framework describes resilience tactics that are as applicable to the boardroom as they are on the battlefield.