February 24, 2026
British author C.S. Lewis is often cited for his definition of integrity: doing the right thing even when no one is looking. So, what do we call it when everyone is watching but there are wide-ranging views about what is the right thing to do? Unfortunately, for many companies, that is essentially the definition of today’s business environment. And it is full of risk of many types – regulatory, geopolitical, competitive, economic, EHS, workforce, public opinion/social media, supply chain, climate, reputation and so on.
We don’t have much choice but to lean into assessing and responding to risk. In fact, at Dix & Eaton, we have built an entire service offering around Anticipate (which includes risk anticipation and insights). But focusing on risk alone is not enough. It will become an endless, bewildering game of “Whac-A-Mole.”
We need to find and foster resilience, in each organization’s own authentic and sustainable way. Here are some places to focus on and build from:
- Relationships with key stakeholders where organizations can proactively build trust and credibility
- Signature programs, priorities and values – such as a sound governance structure and fundamental policies – which guide the organization in good times and bad
- Strong internal teams that believe in what they are doing and do it well (even if recognition of the value comes and goes, and, usually, comes back).
- Goals and commitments that challenge the organization’s productively and promote continuous improvement
- Your organization’s most important challenges and needs, e.g., “what’s material” to your business in the classic financial sense and in a more nuanced way for sustainability and people functions.
- Authenticity in your organization’s communications. Sure, it’s important to “read the room” and know when it might be better to keep a low profile, but, when you choose to start or join a conversation, focus on what you know, do and believe as an organization. Don’t speculate, oversell or minimize.
These building blocks can help drive resilience and protect trust and reputation.
From tariffs to diversity, equity and inclusion, from climate policy to immigration policy, from global conflicts with little end in sight to short-sighted decisions by politicians on all sides – 2025 was full of risk and uncertainty. And the issues will likely keep coming in 2026.
The solution is twofold: 1) protect your business from the risks but 2) don’t be consumed by just dealing with the risks. Find your resilience and build on it. Your reputation and your future depend on it.
For more information about how Dix & Eaton’s Protect platform (Anticipate. Engage. Mitigate.) helps organizations address risk, resilience and reputation, visit our capabilities page or contact me.
