Business Resilience: Forging Strong Teams in Times of Crisis

It is important that when we talk about resilience, we think of it more than just a quality, but as a culture. In this sense, business resilience is not just the ability to withstand adversity, but to evolve from it.

In my years of leadership, I have found that organizations that survive and thrive in difficult times share a common trait: a culture of resilience where each team member understands their purpose, trusts their abilities, and feels part of something bigger.

Pillars of a Culture of Resilience

From my point of view, the key to developing this culture lies in three fundamental pillars:

Inspiring and Empathetic Leadership

A strong team needs leaders who communicate transparently, foster trust, and remain firm in the organization’s values. In times of crisis, I have learned that a resilient leader is not the one who knows everything, but the one who knows how to listen and act with empathy.

When I started reengineering my company, I had to make quick decisions without losing sight of the team’s morale. We fostered open and honest meetings where everyone could express concerns and contribute solutions. The key was to demonstrate that every voice mattered and that together we could overcome any challenge.

Adaptability and Continuous Learning

The speed with which a company can reinvent itself is what makes the difference between failure and success. In the health and beauty industry, I saw firsthand how a sudden change in the digital market forced us to transform our business model.

Instead of resisting change, we decided to learn and evolve. We implemented a hybrid system that allowed our customers to access products and services virtually (which led to the use of the digital catalog and a world of new possibilities to access new customers), ensuring business continuity and, above all, the well-being of our representatives.

Clear and Collaborative Communication

In difficult times, uncertainty can be a team’s worst enemy. The best way to combat it is with clear and accessible information. In a risk engineering project, I remember how regulatory uncertainty generated fear and resistance.

We implemented an internal communication system where each week teams could express concerns and receive updates, which also allowed us to open our minds to new possibilities for generating business (Cross-Sell). This not only reduced anxiety, but also strengthened trust and promoted creative and effective solutions.

“A strong team is not one that avoids problems, but one that knows how to respond to them with unity and determination.”

Selecting Teams with Resilience

But how do you select and develop talent with a resilient mindset? Throughout my career, I learned that resilience is not always evident in a resume, but it is in the attitude and the way a person responds to challenges.

To identify talent with a resilient mindset**, I pay special attention** to:

- **How do they react to failure?** During interviews, I usually ask about a time when they faced a great difficulty. Those who talk about what they learned and how they grew, rather than simply describing the problem, demonstrate a resilient mindset.

- **Ability to find solutions**. I remember the case of a candidate for a key position in the beauty industry. He did not have all the technical experience, but during the process he showed a great ability to analyze problems and propose creative solutions. Halfway through the interview, I asked him if he had brought his tennis shoes with him and if he was ready to run, to which he replied with a big smile and without hesitating or complaining about not having received that indication before, that he did not bring them with him, but that if it was necessary, he could even remove his shoes. We hired him and, with training and support, he became a key leader for the expansion of the business. Today, some years later, it fills me with pride to see how far he has come and I am witness to his successes, occupying a position as national retail account manager in the dermatological industry.

- **Positive attitude and commitment**. For this, it is key to identify people who, despite the pressure, maintain an attitude of service and a willingness to collaborate. Thanks to the fact that they were provided with mentoring and tools to manage stress, today many of them lead new initiatives within the organization.

Resilience, a Central Value of Companies

Fostering trust and autonomy is fundamental, since resilience is not imposed, it is built from mutual trust. A team that understands the impact of their work is an unbreakable team.

In the automotive industry, for example, we implemented a recognition strategy where each professional sales advisor in the Agencies could see how their work contributed to the global success of the company. This created a sense of belonging that strengthened morale and productivity.

Crises can be catalysts for innovation and growth if we face them with the right mindset. Every challenge I have experienced in my career has been an opportunity to identify hidden strengths, develop new strategies, and build stronger and more prepared teams.

Today more than ever, companies must bet on resilience as a central value. Because in a world where change is the only constant, only those who know how to adapt, strengthen their teams, and evolve will truly emerge victorious. I have seen it time and again: the strongest companies are not those that avoid adversity, but those that use it as a springboard towards an even more successful future.

I invite you to reflect: How resilient is your team today? Are you fostering a culture that transforms adversity into opportunity? The next time you face a challenge, instead of asking yourself “why is this happening?”, ask yourself: “how can we grow from this?”.

The challenge is clear: build an organization where resilience is not just a reaction to crisis, but a mindset rooted in every decision, in every strategy, and in every member of your team. Because the companies that understand this not only survive, but lead the future.