"It is an era of 'radical uncertainty' where uncontrollable factors such as war, technological competition, and climate change occur simultaneously. In such times, it is crucial to strategically develop 'resilience' to quickly adapt to any new reality."

Martin Reeves, who founded and leads the BCG Henderson Institute, a core think tank of the global strategy consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG), emphasized in a recent interview with Dong-A Ilbo that "many companies misunderstand resilience as merely a short-term remedy to extinguish urgent fires during crises," and stressed that "resilience is a core capability for long-term success."

● Crisis response capability determines long-term performance

Reeves, who will speak at the 'Dong-A Business Forum 2025' held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on December 4, is regarded as a master of management strategy who has researched survival strategies of global companies. He explained, "Analyzing data from American companies over the past 25 years, the period of crisis accounted for only 11% of the entire period, but the performance during this time had three times more impact on long-term total shareholder return (TSR) than during stable periods." Particularly, the TSR gap between top and bottom companies in the industry during a crisis nearly doubled compared to normal times. This suggests that companies with crisis response capabilities succeed in the long term.

Reeves urged leaders to shift their mindset. He stated, "Machines are designed to perform predetermined tasks efficiently but easily break down under unexpected shocks," and advised that "companies should operate flexibly like 'biological organisms' that adapt to the environment and recover on their own to survive in the long term." He also recommended, "Instead of hastily blocking crises as temporary measures, view them as opportunities for competition and continue to challenge."

● Avoid the 'success trap' with a 'curiosity culture'

Reeves advised that "successful large corporations are more likely to fall into the 'success trap' of being confined to past success formulas," and to avoid this, a 'curiosity culture' should be established. He pointed out, "The enemies of curiosity are complacency, fear of failure, and excessive busyness." Leaders should ask questions and embrace diverse thoughts instead of giving orders to members.

He introduced Facebook's 'Like' button, which contributed to the growth of the social media industry, as an example. Such innovations may seem to be created by a single genius, but they often evolve by chance. For instance, the 'Like' button was not invented by a heroic individual. In the early 2000s, several companies like Yelp and Hot or Not tried similar functions and designs. Although Facebook popularized it globally, even Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO, initially opposed the introduction of the 'Like' button. It was only reluctantly approved in 2009 after its success was proven by other companies.

Reeves stated, "The birth story of the 'Like' button shows that innovation is not invented by a single genius's 'eureka,' but evolves in unplanned social cooperation," and advised, "Leaders should apply a method of quickly experimenting and continuously refining ideas to fit reality rather than setting grand plans."

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