It’s that time again. Undaunted by the events of 2020, the crystal ball gazers are revealing their hands. Some gloom, a little doom but plenty of positivity too. The focus is on re. Re-evaluate, re-calibrate, re-vitalise.

The re to prioritise, however, is resilience. Plan like an optimist for sure but prepare like a realist.

In business, being resilient, and successful in face of this year’s inevitable pressures, will require some important behaviours. Here are my top five:

  1. Do the right thing. It can be tempting to cut corners, but this rarely goes unnoticed. Respect your conviction
  2. Exceed expectations. Pushing hard right now will lead to mistakes. Make better ones, not silly ones
  3. Think laterally. Learn from everywhere. Look how Formula 1 technology has been re-applied to hospital surgery
  4. Communicate. Conversation beats presentation. Nurture your relationships, keep in touch, maintain rapport and trust
  5. Be kind. In the words of Lucy Jameson from the Uncommon Creative Studio, “fierce, uncompromising empathy”. Take care of yourself too

Who knows what lies ahead? New variants are no longer the preserve of supermarket shelves. But relief will come, the world will reboot. Until then, resilience.