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Tag: resiliency

  • How to Build a Resilient Business That Can Handle Rapid Change

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    Resilience. That is possibly the most relevant word for businesses today. In an environment where risks multiply and crises are constant, the ability to adapt and recover has become decisive. 

    Business disruptions arise on many fronts. Climate events, geopolitical conflicts, and regulatory shifts can alter, in a matter of months, the conditions that sustained an organization’s growth and operations. 

    In this context, two questions arise:

    1. How can companies strengthen their capacity to withstand and move forward?
    2. How can resilience be built as a core capability within corporate strategy

    There are several possible routes, but investing in sustainability is the most decisive. 

    Investing in sustainability means building organizations that can anticipate risks, manage resources efficiently, and maintain stable operations in complex scenarios. In essence, it means operating with a future vision and developing capabilities that allow the organization to endure for the next one hundred years while protecting people and the planet. 

    The impacts of the climate crisis confirm this outlook. According to the investor network Ceres, the world’s largest companies could face annual losses exceeding 1.2 trillion dollars by 2050 as a direct consequence of climate change. 

    As extreme events intensify, sustainability becomes a central component of business management. Investing in sustainability helps protect assets, improve governance, and connect financial performance with social and environmental impact. 

    Sustainability as a resilience strategy 

    Across sectors, companies that place sustainability at the center of their business strategy show greater capacity to recover and respond. This is not a coincidence. 

    DHL for one, understands that resilience begins in the supply chain. The company has invested in digitalization, automation, and environmental management to anticipate disruptions and maintain operational continuity. Through sensors, artificial intelligence, and real time monitoring systems, it can identify risks and adjust routes or inventories before interruptions affect the business. 

    These tools are complemented by its GoGreen program, which provides precise emission measurements and low carbon logistics alternatives. The combination of sustainability and technology enables DHL to reduce vulnerabilities, optimize resources, and strengthen customer trust. 

    Enel Group has turned sustainability into an adaptation strategy to confront the effects of climate change. The company allocates more than 3 billion euros to reinforce its power networks through more resilient materials, predictive maintenance, and advanced digitalization. This approach allows the company to anticipate failures, reduce interruptions, and ensure continuity of electricity supply even during storms or wildfires. 

    Enel also promotes cooperation among technical teams, local authorities, and communities to design more flexible energy systems. Its model shows that investing in climate resilience protects critical infrastructure, ensures the stability of essential services, and strengthens competitiveness in a rapidly transitioning energy market. 

    Unilever, for its part, has made sustainable agricultural management a long-term resilience strategy. The company promotes regenerative farming practices in eleven countries, aiming to restore soil, conserve water, and support biodiversity. This transition seeks to secure the future availability of raw materials and reduce exposure to losses from drought or soil degradation. 

    The impact of this approach goes beyond its own value chain. By working with farmers, financial institutions, and local organizations, Unilever fosters a more stable and equitable production model. Its experience shows that strengthening the natural and social foundations of production is an effective way to ensure business continuity and global food security. 

    Resilience is built with planning, investment, and discipline. And in this process, sustainability provides the tools to turn risks into strategic decisions. Incorporating it into management strengthens supply chains, secures critical resources, reduces operating costs, and sustains business continuity in the face of climate, economic, or social crises. 

    Companies that integrate sustainability into their operating model are reinforcing the stability of their structure.  

    In an environment where volatility is constant, sustainability is the most effective path to sustain value, strengthen trust, and build organizations prepared to operate under any scenario. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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    Antonio Vizcaya

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  • These Housing Innovations Remove The Risk Of Rising Climate Threats

    These Housing Innovations Remove The Risk Of Rising Climate Threats

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    As you read this you may be experiencing one of the hottest days in history in your area or breathing smoke from a wildfire. These situations are more and more common, causing physical impacts, but also bringing process and design questions into discussion.

    Adaptation means taking on responsibility for those who live in dangerous areas. Through smart innovations in new home design and construction and advanced retrofits, people can be protected, live well and even save energy costs.

    In 2018, Hurricane Michael wrecked 60,000 homes causing $25 billion in total damages according to InsideClimate News. When that storm hit, Annette Rubin was at home with a newborn, healing from a C-section. Listening to the impact of the storm outside her home and fearing for her baby and her own life, Rubin started thinking about building code and how or if her home was going to protect her.

    In a frantic state, she pulled out the house plans to see what the five-year-old home could withstand. It was built to the standard category three level winds that are building code in that area and the forecast was showing that Hurricane Michael was a more severe category five storm.

    “I thought if it hits our house, we probably won’t make it,” she said. “We couldn’t leave. We couldn’t go down because of storm surge, and it wasn’t safe to go up. Luckily for us, it went over us and hit east of us, but it was traumatizing enough that I wanted to figure out a different way to do this because hurricanes aren’t new. They happen every year.”

    After lots of due diligence, Rubin found a strong, sustainable panel system manufactured by Emmedue. Then, she took the next step. She started the company Vero Building Systems to be an owner and operator installing the Emmedue panel system.

    With 77 plants around the world, the technology has been used and distributed for years, but Rubin is the first to bring it to Florida where it exceeds category 5 hurricane resistance and will be able to withstand up to 250-mile-per-hour winds.

    Looking for a proof, she found the panels installed locally in a 7,000-square-foot home that has survived 3 hurricanes in 14 years.

    “He lives a mile from me, has two times the size of our house and pays one-third the price for energy,” she said. “His energy bill is $300. Mine is double. There are no thermal bridges, so it is astronomically better than a traditional stick build.”

    The core of the panels is polystyrene with steel wire mesh on both sides that are welded together for strength. Once the panel is put in place, a layer of shotcrete (a high velocity application of concrete) goes on top of the wire mesh to create a super insulated, strong structure. Plus, extra mesh goes around angles and to reinforce windows and doors.

    VERO panels are not only sustainable when installed, but so is the manufacturing process. Rubin sources a petroleum-based polystyrene feed that is steamed using natural gas to compress it down. Plus, everything in the plant is recycled, from the beads to the wires, and the manufacturing has no off gassing.

    “We are able to cut emissions by about 40% during an onsite installation,” Rubin said. “There is no heavy machinery. Plus, we cut about 60% of emissions over the lifetime of the building.”

    Most of the work is in manufacturing the panels, that are very light and easy to install on site. Rubin estimates that VERO’s installation process could be up to 40% less time from traditional building methods.

    “We did a whole house in two and a half days with installers speaking three different languages,” she said. “One installer had experience and two did not.”

    With the energy savings and the added protection, the system has about a 5% premium compared to stick-built construction.

    VERO ships nationwide and also is working on a package for tornado safe rooms, again with the capability to withstand more than 250-mph winds.

    Protecting Homes… And Dollars

    Some of the solutions that jurisdictions are exploring to help their communities are focused on reactive measures like evacuation plans and risk communications, along with proactive measures like new zoning, building codes, and improvements to the physical landscape.

    These are hefty, include many different stakeholders to move forward, and therefore need long timelines to come to fruition. In today’s market, the longer the timeline, the more housing costs go up. So, more people are forced into migrating to the areas with the highest climate risks so they can find affordable housing options, which means that people not only need resilient housing, it has to be affordable as well.

    Chris Anderson is the CEO at Greensborough, North Carolina-based, modular home building company Vantem that delivers a solution at only $100 per square foot. This product, backed by Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy fund, is made with refractory materials to be fire resistant, survives category 5 hurricane damage, and withstands up to 8.2 magnitude earthquakes.

    To address the migration into coastal areas in Florida, Vantem acquired a plant in southern Georgia to build fast and efficiently.

    “The homes are built like on an automotive construction line and all MEP [mechanical, electrical and plumbing] is already installed when it is delivered to the job site,” said Anderson. “The factory will be converted by early 2024, and we are looking at two other facilities to get to 20 plants over the next 10 years.”

    Vantem is looking for joint ventures with local developers that have strong pipelines aimed at affordable housing in high risk climate markets.

    Similar to VERO, Vantem is already accepted and well used around the world, with more than three million square feet currently built out across the globe. In the United States, Vantem has code approvals to build up to three stories.

    Anderson says that even with the cost and process efficiencies, solutions can be customized on a large scale.

    “We translate architecture into the Vantem system as fully engineered product for that market,” he said. “Each factory has a particular focus. If you are going to do a lot of multifamily, the factory is designed for that. There are factories specifically designed for single family, like the first in Georgia.”

    At the core of Vantem’s efficiency and sustainability is the innovation of the panel.

    “People who are doing high production modular worldwide are trying to standardize traditional process, but the better way to do it is to simplify the system,” Anderson said. “In modular, you have a water shed between 1 to 5 modules a day to 6 to 10, where high output usually requires a bigger capital expense, but they tried to automate a complex system. Automation applied to inefficiency, just magnifies inefficiency. Our capital expenses are one-fifth the cost of other modular factories.”

    The Need For More Innovation

    Many reports show that the frequency and intensity of climate events will continue to increase. VERO and Vantem have fabulous solutions that will help many in the Florida region now, but as Zillow reports, unchecked greenhouse gas emissions could put 802,555 homes nationwide at risk from a 10-year flood by 2050. Not to mention the other climate disasters impacting the country.

    Efforts like Ed Barsley’s Climate Creatives Challenge offer opportunities to reward innovation in support of new and novel approaches for communicating the impacts of climate change and the benefits of mitigation, adaptation and resilience. As the founder of The Environmental Design Studio, Barsley wants to unleash creative energy to communicate climate related themes to the public, along with adaptive actions.

    The contest is a series of eight challenges and open for entries now, including prize money. Initiatives like this will spotlight the need, bringing much needed innovation forward.

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    Jennifer Castenson, Contributor

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  • SEMPRE & Vector Launch Partner on Resilient Responsive and Flexible Launch System

    SEMPRE & Vector Launch Partner on Resilient Responsive and Flexible Launch System

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    Combined survivable launch infrastructure solution created to address emerging national security challenges


    WASHINGTON, DC, March 16, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    SEMPRE, the technology company created to secure America’s critical infrastructure, today announced that it has partnered with Vector to provide secure, resilient, mobile command-and-control infrastructure for Vector’s rapid launch capability. 

    Vector Launch is a responsive launch vehicle solution provider whose mission is to help solve complex national security challenges facing the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies. 

    SEMPRE’s fully integrated survivable and resilient command-and control-system—purpose-built to conform to the highest industry and military standards for security, resiliency, and quality—will be combined with Vector’s responsive launch, creating a unique joint solution that will employ the following capabilities:

    • EMP-hardened, secure, high-performance edge processing allows for resilient command and control of the vehicle and its launch operations, in even the most challenging and hostile environment.
    •  Secure and redundant 5G and satellite back-haul communications with support for DoD and commercial providers, allowing for launch anytime, anywhere.
    • TEL (transport erector launcher) providing for a survivable, self-contained, mobile launch platform with the ability to rapidly “launch-and-scoot” from austere unimproved locations.
    • Small-footprint, remote command and control eliminating the need for large numbers of personnel at the launch site.

    These joint capabilities will be offered for use by others in the space and defense industry to help improve command and control, telemetry analysis, autonomous launch and secure mission operations.

    “The SEMPRE-Vector combined solution will allow for flexible mission profiles and enable decision makers and future warfighters to decisively and accurately respond in the time of crisis,” says SEMPRE CEO Rob Spalding, former senior director of strategy at the National Security Council and retired USAF Brigadier General. “Developed to help counter various emerging threats from the Indo-Pacific, as well as man-made disasters and those coming from nature and from space, SEMPRE technology deployed along with responsive and remote launch will provide a capability unique in the industry.”

    “Our partnership with SEMPRE will help us to deliver an even more innovative and responsive product for our national security customers,” says Vector Chief Technology Officer Jeff Lane.

    About SEMPRE

    SEMPRE (Secure EMP-Resistant Edge) connects, protects and secures what matters most: information and communication vital to critical infrastructure. To accomplish this, our team of security and digital infrastructure experts set out to tackle every aspect of what modern communications should offer users: security, resiliency, high-performing edge computing and survivability. With a focus on innovation and a commitment to excellence, SEMPRE is dedicated to providing solutions that enhance the nation’s security and help secure a safer future for all.

    About Vector Launch

    Vector Launch’s primary mission is to solve complex national security challenges facing the intelligence community, US Department of Defense and other government agencies.

    Source: SEMPRE

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  • 7 Steps To Be a Resilient Leader in Hard Times

    7 Steps To Be a Resilient Leader in Hard Times

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    We are in unsettled times right now. According to some forecasters, the U.S. economy faces a 100% chance of a recession over the coming 12 months, and 98% percent of CEOs anticipate a recession. Whether in the 2% that remain optimistic about a recession yet or not, you recognize that during turbulent times, every decision counts.

    All the uncertainty takes its toll. Each new hire, layoff and expense gets analyzed to ensure whether it leads to growth and, in some cases, even company survival. One of the biggest mistakes during recessionary times is making decisions too late. New entrepreneurs navigating this climate for the first time face difficulty making strategic predictions and knowing who to trust, seek advice and confide in. Even seasoned entrepreneurs, who have been through previous recessions, have learned that going it alone is not a good strategy.

    This is an epidemic among entrepreneurs. The Gallup Wellbeing Index highlights that 45% of entrepreneurs report feeling lonely compared to 42% of other workers, with 50% of CEOs reporting loneliness.

    Amongst entrepreneurs, a much higher percentage is feeling anxious or depressed daily. During these times, it is vital to cultivate communities of support to build resilience, ensure you do not make the necessary difficult decisions too late and weather the tough times ahead.

    Related: 7 Outdated Habits That Will Paralyze Your Business

    As the President and CEO of The Alternative Board, which represents 5000 privately-held small businesses in 22 countries worldwide, I speak with entrepreneur leaders daily about their concerns running seven and eight-figure companies to grasp the nuanced issues facing business leaders on main street.

    The antidote is action if you are struggling with extreme stress and anxiety. But not just any action. Take action with the wisdom and guidance of others who have been through recessions already. You need support to boost your resilience and make sound decisions that advance your company’s growth and overall well-being.

    How do you make difficult decisions confidently? It’s vital to surround yourself with other business owners, traveling down the same journey and learning from each other’s experience, to have the confidence to make hard decisions.

    Facing the upcoming economic turbulence, here is the 7-step process to make difficult decisions and guide your enterprise to smoother times.

    Related: How to Develop an Executive Presence and Earn Respect

    1. Get clarity on the core issue.

    The adage “it’s lonely at the top” doesn’t have to be the case. If you feel you cannot share your day-to-day struggles with anyone, take some time to create the space you need to get clear. What is the underlying issue? It may not be an underperforming staff member. Perhaps it is the company culture overall or an outdated offer. Get to the root cause issue underlying the situation. You are not alone, even if you feel lonely.

    2. Air the issue with your peers.

    Napoleon Hill’s bestselling book “Think And Grow Rich” introduced the concept of an alliance of business leaders that convene around a given topic as a “mastermind.” Create a group of support between five to 10 individuals; they can be in varying industries, ages or demographic — the more diverse, the better. Articulate your issue to the group for their assessment.

    3. Seek first to understand.

    Ask clarifying questions to understand in a round-table style session; at my company, our philosophy is “don’t move the fence until you know why the fence was put there in the first place.” Our members want to ensure they are helping each other solve root-cause issues rather than symptoms. Have everyone ask clarifying questions to understand in a round-table style session. When everything is understood, you are better able to receive valuable feedback.

    4. Share your experience.

    The best advice is experience-based advice. Business owner peer boards often represent 150 years of business experience or more. Peers share their collective experiences. Sometimes the best advice is, “I tried this before, and it didn’t work out well for me.” That kind of advice is invaluable to other business owners. Consider whether any experience could apply to you or spark a new path forward.

    Related: Being Vulnerable Is the Boldest Act of Business Leadership

    5. Evaluate your options.

    Many entrepreneurs spend too much time consuming information and not enough time in execution. After considering the feedback from your group, process what the takeaway points will be. What is most beneficial for your company in its growth trajectory? Decide on what from the session you would like to prioritize.

    6. Commit to action.

    We intentionally use the word “commitment” in board meetings. Members commit to each other that they will take a specific action. Commitment implies not only action but that each person is committing to their peers that they’ll take action. These commitments are a key part of moving key issues and opportunities forward.

    7. Stay accountable.

    The easiest person to let down is yourself; the hardest person to let down is someone else. Peer board members hold each other accountable for their commitments. They do this since they support each other, work together and try to help each group member address their challenges and take their business to the next level.

    Although what lies ahead is uncertain, one thing is clear: by curating a community of support, advisors and mentors — whether, via a Board of Directors, accountability groups or peer-led support — entrepreneurs will be well-equipped to draw upon wisdom across industries and demographics to bolster each other and make better decisions to navigate the times ahead.

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    Jason Zickerman

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  • What is Resilience and Why is it Vital to Your Success?

    What is Resilience and Why is it Vital to Your Success?

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Resilience is the ability to adapt successfully and recover from challenging life experiences. It is the ability to endure adversity and grow despite challenges. Resiliency doesn’t mean there won’t be setbacks, but it’s the strength and will to continue through pain. Take the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. Many people showed resilience by finding means to cope and work through a very challenging period.

    Resilience is not a lack of stress, emotional disturbance or suffering. It is the strength to work through whatever disturbance and suffering life throws you.

    Related: 5 Ways to Adapt to Change and Build a More Resilient Business Model

    Why is resilience important?

    Resilience is important because it’s an essential life skill. Perhaps the best example of resilience was shown by the late Nelson Mandela, who said, “Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

    Without resilience, you get easily overwhelmed by challenges and what was supposed to be a temporary setback paralyzes you. Our very survival in this new world depends on our ability to adjust and thrive in the face of trauma and hardship. Without resilience, we fall back on unhealthy traits like avoidance and helplessness. Resilience not only empowers us to accept, adapt and move forward in difficult situations, but it is also the core strength that makes bearing the load of life possible.

    What it takes to change

    When I was in eighth grade, one of my teachers called a student to the front of the class to express how disappointed he was in the student for his performance with school work, despite his obvious potential. The student was none other than me.

    As I stood in front of the class, he explained why he was disappointed in me and how I showed up late to class even though my house was just a few minutes from school. It wasn’t that I flunked; my grades were mostly average. The reason for his disappointment was the potential and opportunity going to waste.

    Related: 8 Ways Successful People Master Resilience

    Although I felt his gesture was harsh, his assessment was accurate. I devoted my time to other things, like playing sports and messing around with my friends. I was an excellent reader as long as it wasn’t schoolwork. I was slacking, my teacher knew it, and I knew it too.

    Anytime results came out, I got nervous and promised myself that “I would change” and put in real effort. Deep down, I knew I was capable of much better than my grades suggested. I felt I just needed to put in real effort to become a success. I had to change something. But how?

    At the end of my senior year, I became so uncomfortable with some of my antics and the kind of person I was becoming. I wanted to be a role model for my siblings; someone others could admire. I realized this was something I would have to do for myself. What I wanted to make out of my life was up to me. And that was when I began to change.

    I was going to college, but I decided to do things differently this time. Right from that moment, I began to direct my energy toward building life skills and habits that reflected the kind of person I wanted to become. I began to spend my weekends getting familiar with the courses I was going to do not only in college but also in my private time. I began to plan and work toward my success.

    There were times I lost focus, but I put myself back on track. I knew I would be a few steps ahead of my colleagues by planning for my success, which gave me a positive feeling. I could see myself changing; I would not be the class clown. I was going to become a more responsible and committed student.

    And that was how it happened. I showed up in college as a student enthusiastic to succeed. After the first semester, I had a reputation as an A student. Sticking to that path of success was no longer an option; I had already set higher standards for myself.

    Related: 7 Keys to Developing Resilience

    Sometimes I think about what would have become of me if I didn’t have that resilience and courage to change. What kind of life would I have? One thing I know for sure is it may have been a life filled with regrets. Regrets for taking the easier way out, regret for not putting in enough effort even though I knew I was capable of more. And even though the change happened slowly and gradually, there were times my friends who knew me as the class clown made fun of me and times I slipped up. The fact that I made the decision to change and showed resilience made me ready at the right moment.

    However, what brought about this much-desired change? Having my new girlfriend certainly influenced me; however, it was nothing more than the fact that I had reached my emotional rock bottom and wasn’t happy with the lack of focus in my life. I began to think of myself and my actions in line with what I wanted to be. More importantly, I didn’t wait to be in college to start changing, I started the journey immediately, even though I was still in high school.

    Perhaps you find yourself in a challenging or overwhelming situation and need to pull through. Resilience will play an essential role in getting you over that line. As a first step, if you can make and stick to the decision to change the way you work, reflect on yourself, and challenge your thought patterns. Over time, you’ll begin to see changes in your life too. By tapping into resilience, you can change how you think and behave to achieve your definition of success. My lived experience says don’t wait, start now!

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    Jon Michail

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