Moving Beyond Resilience: My Conversation on Antifragile Organizations
I recently had the pleasure of joining Jane McConnell on her podcast to talk about a subject close to my heart: what it takes for organizations not just to survive uncertainty, but to thrive and grow stronger because of it.
In our discussion, we explored many of the core ideas from our new book, The Antifragile Organization: From Hierarchies to Ecosystems, including why resilience isn’t enough in today’s fast-moving world.
Antifragility: The Next Step After Resilience
Where resilience is about bouncing back to how things were, antifragility is about using disruption as an opportunity to get stronger and more adaptive. We discussed how truly antifragile organizations treat uncertainty as a source of learning and renewal—not just something to endure.
From Hierarchies to Ecosystems
One of the most exciting shifts we explored is the move from rigid hierarchies to dynamic ecosystems. This approach means building networks of capabilities—often beyond company boundaries—to co-create value, share resources, and stay agile in the face of change.
Redundancy, Experimentation, and Next Practices
We also talked about why redundancy (“slack”) is an asset, not a waste—enabling organizations to act on new opportunities as they arise. And instead of clinging to best practices from the past, antifragile organizations focus on “next practices”—learning at the edges, experimenting, and staying alert to signals from outside.
Technology’s True Role
Digital transformation is more than automation or efficiency. It’s about building a digital backbone that empowers people to focus on innovation and problem-solving—while ensuring accountability and transparency remain with humans, not just algorithms.
Curious to go deeper?
Listen to the full conversation here:
