The resilience dividend: managing disruption, avoiding disaster, and growing stronger in an unpredictable world

"New York. Athens. Boston. Tohoku. Newtown. Oslo. West. Wenzhou. New Orleans. Dhaka. Moore. Nairobi. These communities are just a few among the many that have been hit hard by one of the "wicked problems" of today's world: natural catastrophe, disease and contagion, systems or social collapse. If you haven't been directly touched by one of these disruptions yourself, you are sure to have been affected by them in some way. They harm people, destabilize communities, and threaten organizations and even whole societies. These problems have become such a part of our world that knowing how to prepare for them, how to respond when they happen, and how to recover from them should be essential skills of modern life for all of us. We have certainly made progress in this regard, especially in the years since 9/11, but we are still at greater risk than we should be. We can't anticipate every disruption that might come our way, but we can develop an overall approach for dealing with the wicked problems, and formulate specific plans for areas where we and our communities are particularly vulnerable. The Resilience Dividend is both timely and important important as both the severity and frequency of disruptions are increase. We face extreme weather events, rapid population shifts, and global interconnectedness that make us vulnerable to disruptions wherever they take place.

Why resilience matters -- Resilience framework: five characteristics -- Practice: readiness, responsiveness, revitalization -- Disruption: a world of stresses and shocks -- How crisis becomes disaster: the human factor -- Awareness: yes, it can happen here -- Readiness: we're all responsible -- Getting ahead of threats: addressing vulnerabilities -- Responsiveness: social cohesion is the first responder -- Leadership emerges: institutions and individuals step up -- After the crisis: bouncing forward -- Revitalization: energizing, affirming, sharing a vision -- Conclusion: Realizing the resilience dividend.