Given the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) business environment we operate within today, all team are going to face adversity in some form. The difference between teams that thrive and those that don’t is team resilience. This is the thrust of a new book from Bradley Kirkman and Adam Stoverink called Unbreakable: Building and leading resilient teams (2023, Stanford Business Books).
Kirkman and Stoverink are two distinguished business academics who have both contributed widely to business thinking through their publications and books. This book is based on their extensive involvement with hundreds of companies on five difference continents and robust research techniques.
Using the famous true but tragic story of a small team of smoke jumpers in the 1949 Mann Gulch (USA) wildfires, the authors draw lessons about building team resilience. Beginning with the learnings from Mann Gulch, the four team pitfalls are exposed. This provides the foundation for the main emphasis of the book, in which four team resilience resources are outlined and discussed. The recency of the book allows the authors to dedicate a chapter for leaders that addresses leading teams in a crisis, and another specifically dealing with remote and hybrid teams.
By using frequent examples and illustrative stories, the authors convey their message in a very relatable and memorable way that is practical, yet evidence based. The tools to help you assess your teams are also a nice addition. This is a great book for anyone involved in teams, irrespective of whether you are a leader, and is a very enjoyable read.