*By André Novo
Since the pandemic, we have heard the word resilience more and more. According to dictionaries, the term represents the ability to easily recover or adapt to bad luck or changes. It is the epitome of rapid adaptation or recovery. And Brazilians understand this very well, right?
It's no surprise that the phrase “I'm Brazilian and I never give up” is a maxim already marked in the DNA of people born and raised here. In a country with no less than 8.6 million unemployed people (according to IBGE data from the fourth quarter of 2022), there must be a willingness to continue fighting without giving up in the midst of adversity.
What we didn't know, until then, is that the country's executives are also among the most resilient in the world, evidence proven by a global survey by SAS called Resiliency Rules. The data shows that Brazilians show higher levels of resilience than their global peers: 68% believe they have resilience, while worldwide the percentage is lower: 54%.
Historically, Brazilian companies have worked with fewer resources, which has led executives to learn the importance of resilience to compete in the global arena. They already have resilience measures applied to their daily lives and prioritize analytics and AI to navigate an ever-changing environment, which is very positive.
And why is it so important to have this topic on your radar today? Challenges that are unlikely to disappear anytime soon, such as economic crises, environmental risks, and the social climate are driving change at an unprecedented pace, which is why prioritizing resilience is more important than ever. However, being resilient is not something like launching a new product on the market or carrying out strategic planning, activities that managers are used to. Having the flexibility to overcome abrupt changes, adverse situations and different types of challenges is not for everyone: it is a quality acquired and refined over time.
Resilience ensures that business performance is restored quickly, increasing the chances of successfully addressing ongoing issues. And virtually all executives believe resilience is important. However, only about two-thirds consider their company to be resilient (65%). The good news is that they are confident about achieving the level of resilience their companies need and closing this gap, provided they have the right guidance to implement an effective strategy.
Good practices for resilient organizations
There is still a long way to go, but I believe some key factors drive the success of resilient executives and companies. One of the main ones is the prioritization of analytics and AI at critical moments. Organizations that lead in their ability to deal with change work to understand how the data they accumulate can improve the way they serve customers at any given time, and deliver a better outcome. Stimulating innovation with data insights, therefore, is essential for companies to be prepared to deal with disruptions and adapt quickly to market changes.
On the other hand, there are challenges related to investments. Brazilian corporate leaders also face difficulties regarding data quality and implementation, and specialized labor. In any case, the current gap is not unbeatable and almost all Brazilian executives are certain that they will be able to achieve resilience (98%) and recognize the benefits it brings.
On this journey towards resilience, data literacy, that is, acquiring fluency in understanding what can be done with data to improve business management, is essential. With cloud-based analytical intelligence solutions available today, many Brazilian organizations have understood that it is possible to seek and use insights without the need to acquire specific technical knowledge. The important thing for the executive, in this case, is to know how data can advance the company's management, and leave the rest to technology and specialists.
On a more human level, there are a series of attributes that executives can use to increase their resilience, and which can be found in the most resilient Brazilian organizations. In fact, the report Resiliency Rules includes rules that can be applied for this purpose. Among them is curiosity, which is one of the fundamental values of SAS and is on the list of socio-emotional skills that every manager needs to lead strategically. You need to have initiative and a desire to look for something different, innovative, out-of-the-box solutions. Guided by these values, Brazilians stand out in football, music, the arts – and also in business.
Our evolution is deeply anchored in curiosity – a relentless search for understanding and innovation, and the ability to overcome adversity, learn from challenges and adapt to new circumstances. The intersection of these two concepts – resilience and curiosity – I believe is the characteristic of the best Brazilian companies and an example to be emulated. Amid the challenges of the present, stimulating curiosity and building resilience will continue to be crucial in enabling organizations to build and continue an upward trajectory of growth and development.
*André Novo, country manager at SAS Brasil
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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