A new book on resilience, Resilience in Action, is now out!

The latest book is not the usual management guide to resilience. Rather, it is an examination of how certain famous people in history have managed their own form of resilience.  It’s fundamentally a book about the indomitable human spirit in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

It follows ten individuals, separated by more than three thousand years of history, who confronted – and ultimately rose above – the defining challenges of their age. Each character was familiar with the demands of conflict, leadership and adversity. The list covers notable events in history and brings to life the role that each character played in not only surviving the demands of the period but also contributing to the historical outcomes in a significant way.  

The stories begin with the mythical character Odysseus – portrayed in Christopher Nolan’s recent epic film The Odyssey - and conclude with Volodymyr Zelensky – a symbol of defiance in the face of blatant aggression. In between, there appear profiles of Alexander the Great, Marcus Aurelius, King Æthelstan, Joan of Arc, Sir John Franklin, Dr Mary Edwards Walker, T E Lawrence, and Mikhail Gorbachev.

In the Foreword to the book, Lord David Richards of Herstmonceux GCB, CBE, DSO writes: ‘This book demonstrates that in history there have been people who have had the right skills and have stepped up at critical times, sometimes coming out of the shadows to deliver transformational change to thousands if not millions of people. On occasion, this may have come at a heavy price. Success may also have retreated into the shadows when those people disappeared – even hegemons have limited duration. Today, we need the leadership door to open and allow the rhyming of imagination with innovation.’

Chris Donnelly CMG, a former Special Adviser to four NATO Secretaries General, writes: ‘the author has provided us ‘with a penetrating and insightful study of the lives and experiences of a diverse selection of individuals drawn from history who exemplify resilience in its many and varied forms. With his original approach to understanding resilience by observing it in action and providing us with role models, he has made a unique contribution to our understanding and has firmly established himself as the leading author on this crucial topic.’

Resilience in Action joins a list of other titles in a resilience series.

Hope is a central theme of the book. It compels people to overcome adversity and reach safety. It also encourages us to reinvent ourselves at time of crisis, thereby seeking new opportunities and extending our natural curiosity. Sir John Franklin, a polar explorer, did this when his traditional naval career came to an end, and he turned to exploration as a way to remain relevant. In more modern times, Volodymyr Zelensky has pursued a political career following his successful acting days when the opportunity arose and Ukraine called. So that we overcome our trials and tribulations, whether individually or collectively, and bounce forward not back, there must be an overwhelming desire to persevere in the hope of better things ahead. If hope springs eternal, it needs resilience to flow in abundance – resilience often sparks the first flicker of hope.

The other dominant theme of the book is about knowledge and wisdom. It is not just about the depth of knowledge but also about its breadth, about seeing the whole rather than the parts – resilience in the round. It is about seeing the interconnections and interrelationships that multiply as society and the threats to it grow ever more sophisticated. Alexander the Great, King Æthelstan and Mikhail Gorbachev were all good at achieving this perspective and battled with political, military and societal dynamics to improve their respective nations. Courage was another key attribute that brought out the greatness of these leaders and statesmen.  

Leaders also play a decisive role in shaping how adversity is interpreted. They frame challenges as tests and opportunities; they help us see adversity as part of a larger story, not a dead end; and they provide a narrative that transforms chaos into coherence. This is exactly what Marcus Aurelius did during Roman plague and Marcomannic war; he reframed suffering as part of the human condition and a chance to practise virtue. Adaptive leaders like T E Lawrence thrived in uncertainty and encouraged experimentation where there were no norms; his empathetic leadership was part of his resilience.

Some leaders can change styles to suit the prevailing circumstances; Odysseus was also good at this. Characters like Joan of Arc and Mary Edwards Walker demonstrated clearly that leadership was not a male preserve. Women are often the key to the throne or at least prove the unspoken backbone to their male colleagues.

Each of the figures described in this book embodies a different mode of resilience, shaped by their worldview at the time, their trials and the kind of burden they carried. The array of characters offers valued insights into the resilience domain and the history behind them as well as providing a fascinating journey into our rich and resilient past. By comparing and contrasting the characters in this book, we can see why they were successful as leaders and stewards of resilience across the ages.

The book is available from Austin Macauley Publishers and all good book sellers. 

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