While 92% of surveyed executives express general confidence in their firm's ability to navigate a major disruption, the data reveals a fragile foundation. Only 47% of respondents confirm that their corporate planning processes actually account for such unexpected events, creating a 45-percentage-point gap between perceived resilience and actionable strategy.

This lack of consensus is particularly pronounced at the top. While CEOs remain broadly optimistic, CIOs are notably more skeptical, with only 30% reporting high confidence in their organization's readiness compared to 52% of CEOs. Highspring CEO Brian Waller suggests that this fragmentation stems from divergent perspectives on industry dynamics. Rather than viewing this as a failure, Waller argues that leadership teams must force these conflicting viewpoints onto the table to achieve the alignment necessary for pivoting when conditions shift.

Operational reality further complicates the picture, as leaders cited 21 distinct issues currently hindering their performance. Human capital remains a primary friction point, with retention and reskilling appearing as three of the top six challenges. With 52% of firms currently in the process of rewriting or finalizing strategic plans, organizations face a narrow window to reconcile their resilience initiatives with broader transformation goals instead of managing them as isolated programs.