Happy Friday 👋 !

How important do you think resilience is for leaders at work today?

For Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, it’s a critical skill and one that he looks for when bringing new people on to his team.

​He says:
​“What I'm listening for in interviews isn't stories about toughing it out and staying to your pre-determined course no matter what. Tell me about when you had to summon the courage to pivot. When you had to try a different door to get to your goal.”

Why is this so important?

Like most, Microsoft AI is creating a new future. Emerging and converging technologies and AI are opening up new possibilities. Yes, a lot of jobs are going away, but more will be created. What those new jobs will be and how work will change...we don't know yet.

Matt Sigelman wrote about the changing nature of work in his WSJ article How the Internet Rewired Work—and What That Tells Us About AI’s Likely Impact. His conclusion:

“What to expect from AI, then, is messy, uneven reshuffling in stages. Some roles will contract sharply—and those contractions will affect real people. But many occupations will be rewired in quieter ways. Productivity gains will unlock new demand and create work that didn’t exist, alongside a build-out around data, safety, compliance and infrastructure.”

Translation? The ground is shifting beneath our feet. And it's going to keep shifting.

This isn't a phase we'll get through and return to "normal." This liminal space—this constant state of becoming—might be our new reality. One messy stage flowing into the next as we figure out how to harness technology while keeping humans at the helm.

This is exactly why leaders who can pivot matter more than ever. CEOs don't have a crystal ball. They need teams who can help them build a future that doesn't exist yet.

What Resilience Actually Sounds Like

Want to know if you — or your team — has the kind of resilience organizations need right now? Listen for these patterns:

Low Resilience

When setbacks hit, these execs sound defeated or totally drained. They might say:

• “This has thrown me completely off. I need time to regroup.”
• “Why does it always fall apart when we try something new?”
• “We’ve been hit too many times. Let’s just play it safe from now on.”
• “I’m exhausted — I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
• “Let’s stick with what we know works. Change is too risky.”

These phrases reveal someone seeking stability in a world that won't provide it. They're trying to control the uncontrollable instead of adapting to it.

Medium Resilience

With this level of resilience, people are generally capable of bouncing back, though recovery may take time. They’re pragmatic and tend to seek balance and incremental adaptation.

They might say:

• “This was tough, but I think we can get through it.”
• “Give me some time — I’ll find my footing again.”
• “It’s not ideal, but we’ve weathered worse.”
• “I’m okay with small changes, as long as we’re aligned.”
• “Let’s talk through what worked and what didn’t so we can move forward.”

High Resilience

These leaders bounce back rapidly — or even bounce forward — often reframing challenges as growth opportunities.

They might say:

• “Setbacks? They just help us grow stronger.”
• “Let’s use this as a springboard to try something bold.”
• “Failure is just part of the process — what did we learn?”
• “Bring it on — I thrive in tough situations.”
• “Let’s pivot and use this moment to reset and refocus.”

High resilience is impressive, but watch out. Leaders who bounce back too quickly might be bypassing real issues — or worse, expecting their burned-out teams to match their relentless optimism.

Dig Deeper Than Surface Responses

Resilience doesn't exist in isolation. Before you celebrate (or worry about) what you're hearing, ask follow-up questions:

📌 About their stress levels:​
What’s their actual stress level? Are they coping or just white-knuckling through? What are they doing to cope with stress?

📌 About their emotional processing:​
Are they reflecting on what happened, or bulldozing past it? Are they bringing their team along, or leaving wreckage behind?

📌 About their grit:​
Are they persisting with purpose, or grinding themselves (and others) into dust?

Your Turn: The Mirror Test

Think about the last three months of your work life. What would your own words reveal about your resilience?

Try this journaling exercise:

“When Work Knocked Me Down”

What happened?​
Describe a recent setback, pressure point, or challenge in your own words.

How did I respond?​
What did you say, feel, think, do? What actions did you take — big or small? Or what did you resist doing?

How did I move through it?​
What helped you bounce back? Was it internal (mindset shift, self-talk) or external (support, resources)? How long did it take?

What strengths did I show?​
Did you demonstrate courage? Persistence? Creativity? The ability to change course? What did this reveal about you?

What did I learn?​
What will you carry forward the next time work gets tough?

Not only will this help you strengthen your resilience, you’ll have some great examples to share if you ever interview with Mustafa Suleyman.

Have a great weekend!

Ann
​www.adaptsuccess.com​

🧠 Gear Up for Change is your weekly dose of insight on navigating and leveraging change — grounded in AQai’s science of adaptability. If you find it valuable, forward it to a colleague who’s also leading through liminality and they can subscribe here.

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Issue #58, 5 December 2025