From Crisis-Proof to Fair: The Future of Business Resilience

What do bulletproof businesses and workplace fairness? have in common?

In our last two episodes of the FUTUREPROOF. podcast, we tackled two seemingly distinct but deeply interconnected challenges facing modern organizations: building resilient enterprises and creating equitable workplaces. And trust us, you won't want to miss either of these conversations.

First, authors Devin DeCiantis and Ivan Lansberg take us on a globe-spanning journey through family businesses that have mastered the art of survival against incredible odds. Their book, The Enduring Enterprise, reads like a masterclass in organizational resilience, featuring stories that would sound like fiction if they weren't true – like a Peruvian family building an empire while navigating active terrorism, or a Syrian family rebuilding their entire conglomerate after a coup. But these aren't just fascinating stories; they're blueprints for business leaders wondering how to fortify their organizations against an increasingly unpredictable world.

Then, we pivot to what might be the most crucial element of business resilience: workplace equity. Author Siri Chilazi (along with Iris Bohnet) brings hard data and practical solutions to a challenge that has frustrated organizations for decades. Their book, Make Work Fair, cuts through the noise of well-intentioned but ineffective DEI initiatives to reveal what actually works in creating fair workplaces. And here's where these episodes beautifully converge – because what could be more fundamental to organizational resilience than ensuring all talent can contribute fully?

The connection becomes even clearer when you consider that many of the family businesses featured in our first discussion succeeded precisely because they leveraged their entire workforce's potential, regardless of background. They understood that survival depends on utilizing every available resource and perspective. Meanwhile, Bohnet and Chilazi's research shows that organizations built on equity principles are more innovative, adaptable, and – you guessed it – resilient.

These episodes offer a compelling vision of future-proof organizations: ones that combine the adaptability and long-term thinking of successful family enterprises with the systematic fairness that unleashes every employee's full potential. Whether you're leading a startup in Silicon Valley or a family business in an emerging market, these conversations provide crucial insights for building organizations that can not only weather any storm but emerge stronger.

Don't miss these last two episodes of FUTUREPROOF. – where crisis-proof meets future-fair, and where resilience meets equity in ways that will transform how you think about both. You can subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else you typically listen to podcasts.