CAS Business Resilience

The opening module lays the conceptual and mental foundation for the program. Participants develop a deep understanding of why organizations today are confronted with a new level of uncertainty, complexity, and crises – and why traditional planning, risk, and control approaches are increasingly reaching their limits. The focus is on developing a forward-looking, systemic way of thinking as a prerequisite for strategic crisis preparedness. The module thus combines strategic analysis with concrete application to the participants’ real decision-making and leadership situations. The aim is not to discuss uncertainty in abstract terms, but to systematically explore it on the basis of the participants’ own organizational challenges.

Module 1a: Global Upheaval & Drivers of Transformation

The first part is devoted to the fundamental question of how crises arise, escalate, and impact – and why they differ fundamentally from classic management problems. Participants examine global drivers of transformation and different types of crises, including geopolitical, technological, economic, and social crises, as well as so-called transboundary crises that unfold across organizational, industry, and national boundaries. Participants work with specific case studies from their organizations or industries to understand how crises arise, escalate, and take on a life of their own. There is a particular focus on the role of perception, behavior, and decision-making logic in crisis situations. Using the Cynefin framework, participants learn to distinguish between simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic contexts and to adapt their leadership and decision-making approaches accordingly.

In addition, typical cognitive biases and leadership pitfalls that can lead to misjudgments, overreactions, or decision-making paralysis in crises are discussed.
A central component of the module is the systemic analysis of real crisis and risk situations. Participants explore the interactions between strategy, structure, culture, communication, and external stakeholders, and learn to identify not only symptoms but also underlying dynamics and leverage points. This provides a deeper understanding of why linear solutions often fail in complex crises. Once again, the insights gained are directly transferred to the participants’ own organizations.

Key topics:

• Global drivers of transformation (geopolitics, technology/AI, ecology, economy, society/work, regulation) as sources of opportunities and risks
• From risk to crisis: triggers, escalation, behavior
• Multiple & transboundary crises
• Cynefin as decision-making logic for executives
• Typical misconceptions of top management in crises
• Systemic thinking for executives
• Interactions between strategy, culture, communication
• Risk and crisis behavior (individual & organizational)

Module 1b: Forecasting & Future Viability

The second part looks firmly ahead. The focus is on how managers can still create strategic orientation in times of high uncertainty. Participants learn the difference between classic forecasting and strategic foresight and explore methods for developing their own organization-specific visions of the future based on relevant global drivers of transformation.

As part of practical scenario work, participants develop plausible visions of the future, taking global drivers of transformation into account. The aim is to identify strategic options for action, but also possible tensions and tipping points. Purpose and strategic ambition are used as central filters for prioritization and alignment.
Finally, future viability is reflected upon as a leadership and organizational competence. Participants explore ambidexterity, strategic renewal, and the productive use of serendipity, and develop initial strategic options for their own organization.

Key topics:

• Forecasting vs. scenarios
• Weak signals, wild cards, black swans
• Purpose as a filter for the future
• Presence in the present vs. future viability
• Ambidexterity: stability and renewal
• Using serendipity strategically

Learning objectives

After completing Module 1, participants will be able to

• Identify key global drivers of transformation (geopolitical, technological, economic, social, regulatory) and systematically classify their interactions, risks, and strategic opportunities
• distinguish between crises, risks, and complex problems and apply appropriate decision-making and leadership logic depending on the context (e.g., Cynefin)
• use systemic analysis tools to identify dynamics, feedback loops, and leverage points in real organizational crisis and risk situations
• distinguish between forecasting and strategic foresight and use forward-looking thinking and analysis approaches for strategic decisions under uncertainty
• develop plausible future and crisis scenarios, taking global drivers of transformation into account, and derive strategic areas of tension and options for action from these scenarios
• critically reflect on their own leadership and decision-making logic under uncertainty and derive initial starting points for forward-looking, resilience-oriented leadership

The second module translates anticipation and forward thinking into concrete strategic, structural, and operational design. Participants learn how business resilience can be systematically integrated into strategy, governance, and management processes in order to remain capable of acting under pressure. The module is consistently geared toward implementation, decision-making ability, and organizational anchoring. Participants develop tangible tools, structures, and decision-making routines that can be directly applied in their own everyday management activities.

Module 2a: Organizational Resilience & Strategic Capacity to Act

This module addresses the question of what actually makes organizations resilient – beyond buzzwords and isolated measures. Resilience is understood as a multidimensional characteristic that encompasses strategic, operational, cultural, and relational aspects. High-reliability organizations demonstrate how resilience can be successfully achieved even under conditions of high uncertainty and low tolerance for error.

Participants examine key success factors for organizational resilience and critically reflect on the difference between robustness, agility, and resilience. Building on this, they learn about various approaches to measuring and evaluating their own resilience, including qualitative maturity models, early warning indicators, and strategic control variables.

In practical exercises, participants analyze the resilience of their own organization along key dimensions and derive specific areas for action. Global drivers of transformation act as stressors for organizations and systems. The aim is not only to diagnose resilience, but also to understand it as a controllable strategic capability and develop it in a targeted manner.

A key practical output of the module is a resilience-related executive dashboard that shows how resilience can be integrated into existing strategy and governance processes and regularly reflected upon. Participants leave the module with clearly prioritized areas for action for their organization.

Key topics:

• Resilience as a capability (strategic, operational, cultural)
• Success factors from research and practice
• Difference between resilience, robustness, and agility
• KPIs, maturity models, qualitative indicators
• Analysis tools, early warning indicators, and risk management
• Connection to performance and governance

Module 2b: Crisis Management & Communication

This module focuses on operational and communicative capabilities in crisis situations. Participants learn how an effective crisis management system is structured, what roles, decision-making powers, and escalation mechanisms are required, and how strategy and operational skills interact.

There is a particular focus on crisis communication. Participants examine internal and external stakeholder logic, learn how to deal with media pressure, and practice formulating consistent, credible messages even under time pressure and uncertainty.

The module centers on the development of a practical crisis management and crisis communication plan tailored to the respective organization. This plan is not a static document, but a living management tool that supports decision-making, coordination, and trust in an emergency.

Key topics:

• Establishing an effective crisis management system
• Roles, decision-making authority, escalation
• Interplay between strategy and craftsmanship
• Internal vs. external communication
• Stakeholder logic
• Leadership under media pressure

Learning Objectives

After completing Module 2, participants will be able to

• explain organizational resilience as a strategic capability and distinguish it from robustness, agility, and purely operational risk management
• analyze key elements and success factors of organizational resilience and systematically apply them to your own organization
• measure and evaluate the resilience of your own organization, select suitable qualitative and quantitative indicators, and derive prioritized fields of action
• integrate resilience, risk, and crisis considerations into the strategy, governance, and decision-making processes of top management
• design effective prevention, crisis management, and crisis communication concepts and create a practical, organization-specific crisis plan
• develop decision-making capabilities, role and escalation logic for crisis situations, and apply them in a targeted manner under time and information pressure

Module 3 addresses the often underestimated but crucial dimension of crisis preparedness and resilience: leadership, mindset, and organizational culture. Participants reflect on their own role as leaders and learn how resilience can be anchored in everyday life in the long term. The drivers of transformation serve as a permanent context for leadership work.
Module 3 focuses on the personal and cultural implementation of crisis preparedness. The emphasis is on specific leadership routines, behavioral patterns, and cultural levers that make organizations permanently capable of transformation.

Module 3a: Resilient Leadership & Change Competence

This module focuses on the human and cultural aspects of crises. Participants examine the psychological effects of uncertainty, pressure, and loss of control, and reflect on their own decision-making and leadership behavior in challenging situations.

Key topics include psychological safety, error culture, and dealing constructively with emotions in crises. Building on this, participants discuss how to create a resilient organizational culture that promotes learning, personal responsibility, and adaptability.
Purpose is understood as a cultural anchor that provides orientation and enables collective action.

In practical exercises, participants develop concrete cultural and organizational routines that make resilience visible and effective in everyday life.

Key topics:

• Psychological safety
• Error culture vs. blame culture
• Emotions in crises
• Purpose as a cultural anchor
• Empowerment & decentralization
• Learning from crises
• Simulation and peer reflection

Module 3b: Mindset Change & Resilience Culture

The final module serves to integrate all CAS content. The focus is on key leadership skills in the new uncertain multi-crisis situation: presence, clarity, decisiveness, purpose orientation, communication, and building trust in uncertain times.

In simulation-based exercises, participants experience critical decision-making situations and reflect on their impact as leaders. Finally, the strategic, operational, and cultural elements of crisis preparedness are brought together and translated into an individual and organizational roadmap. The module concludes with a targeted reflection on how leaders can make their organizations not only crisis-proof, but also sustainable and capable of learning in the long term.

Key topics:

• Crisis and purpose leadership in one: presence, clarity, decisiveness
• Communication in uncertain times
• Building trust
• Integration of all modules
• Personal leadership compass
• Transfer to everyday life

Learning objectives

After completing Module 2, participants will be able to

• critically reflect on and purposefully develop your own role as a leader in crises and periods of transformation.
• recognize psychological, emotional, and cultural dynamics in crises and consciously take them into account in your leadership behavior.
• design mindset change processes that promote learning, adaptability, and responsibility in times of uncertainty
• develop resilience-promoting leadership and organizational cultures based on purpose, psychological safety, and an open error culture
• effectively apply key crisis leadership skills (e.g., presence, decisiveness, clear communication, trust building) in simulated and practical situations
• translate strategic, operational, and cultural elements of crisis preparedness into an integrated, actionable roadmap for your own organization