LAST WEEK, I shared a Japanese philosophy that has stayed with me throughout my career:
“Kiki no toki ni kaeru no dewa nai. Tsuyoi toki ni kaeru.”
“Do not change when you are in crisis. Change when you are strong.”
Its wisdom extends beyond corporate transformation. It reminds us that the greatest competitive advantage is not merely the ability to respond to disruption but the discipline to anticipate it.
If the past few years have taught business leaders anything, it is this: disruption is no longer an occasional event. It has become the operating environment. A pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, inflation, supply chain disruptions, artificial intelligence, shifting consumer behaviour and economic uncertainty have arrived in rapid succession. Crisis after crisis sends the same unmistakable message: leaders must prepare today for the next major global disruption, even if they do not know what form it will take.
Preparation cannot begin when warning signs become obvious. By then, organisations are already reacting. Strategic resilience is built while business is healthy, resources are available and leadership still has the freedom to shape its future.
I was reminded of this lesson while in Taipei this week, facilitating the 2027 strategic planning session of a multi-generational family enterprise with operations across five countries. Rather than celebrating another successful year, the leadership team devoted much of its discussion to “what if” scenarios. What if geopolitical tensions intensify? What if tariffs reshape regional trade? What if artificial intelligence transforms their industry faster than anticipated? What if consumer demand shifts unexpectedly? Our next session will focus on stress-testing these scenarios through simulations designed to expose vulnerabilities before the market does.
That discipline impressed me. So did something even more important.
As the enterprise prepares for its transition to the third generation, the cousins demonstrated an exceptional willingness to challenge one another’s thinking without allowing personal interests to stand in the way. They consistently placed the long-term interests of the organisation above individual preferences. Innovation was not viewed as an initiative but as a responsibility. Once decisions were made, execution followed with remarkable speed and discipline.
Many ask what separates family enterprises that flourish across generations from those that struggle after the founder steps aside. In my experience, the formula is remarkably consistent. They collaborate before they compete. They place the interests of the enterprise above personal biases. They debate vigorously but unite behind decisions. They remain intellectually curious long after they become successful. Above all, they execute relentlessly.
Reinvention is not simply about adopting new technology or launching new products. It requires leaders to rethink five critical dimensions of the enterprise.
First, reinvent the business model. Ask whether today’s competitive advantage will still matter five or ten years from now. If you were starting the business today, would you build it exactly the same way?
Second, reinvent leadership. The skills required to build a business are often different from those required to institutionalise it. Great founders evolve from being the organisation’s hero to becoming its architect.
Third, reinvent governance. As organisations grow, informal decision-making eventually reaches its limits. Strong governance, capable boards and clear accountability preserve agility while reducing unnecessary risk.
Fourth, reinvent talent. Yesterday’s high performers will not automatically become tomorrow’s leaders. Organisations must continuously develop people who can thrive in an increasingly uncertain world.
Finally, reinvent culture. The practices that once fuelled growth can quietly become obstacles if they are never questioned. Great organisations respect tradition without becoming captive to it.
Formula One teams redesign championship-winning cars before the next season begins because they assume competitors are already developing something faster. They do not defend yesterday’s success. They improve upon it before someone else does.
Business leaders should adopt the same mindset.
Companies rarely decline because they stop working hard. More often, they decline because they stop questioning the assumptions that made them successful. The organisations that endure cultivate constructive dissatisfaction. They celebrate victories but never mistake them for permanence.
The next crisis is already coming. We simply do not know its name yet.
The leaders who thrive will not be those who react the fastest. They will be those who prepared long before everyone else realised they had to.
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Prof. Enrique M. Soriano is Executive Director of W+B Advisory Group. Having spent half of his four-decade career as a C-suite executive and the other half as a strategic and governance adviser, he is a volunteer Mentor of the Singapore Institute of Directors’ (SID) Board Readiness Programme, a former World Bank/IFC Governance Consultant, and advises boards, founders and multi-generational family enterprises across Asia on governance, strategy, succession and long-term stewardship./PN
