Building on the vision of the "self-driving company" (author: Florian Schnitzhofer), Röhe goes a decisive step further: he examines how resilience can be systematically anchored and made measurable in order to make companies crisis-proof in the long term.
More than just risk management
A central idea of the book is that resilience is more than just risk management. While risk analyses often focus on the past and are limited to probabilities, Röhe advocates a broader understanding that also includes rare, so-called "fat-tail risks". Companies should not only react resiliently, but also learn from crises and increase their competitiveness.
Models and tools for practice
Particularly noteworthy is the "Winning Wheel" he developed, a model that focuses on four dimensions - autonomy, sustainability, humanity and resilience. It serves both as an intuitive tool for reflection and as a measurement system that visualises weaknesses and development potential. This theoretical foundation is illustrated by numerous case studies, for example from the financial sector, where digital platforms helped to remain operational during the pandemic.
A practical highlight of the book is the concept of the resilience dashboard. This application is designed to enable company managers to obtain information about their organisation's resilience at any time, assess threats and initiate suitable measures. Röhe thus bridges the gap between abstract theory and concrete management practice.
Strengths and critical points
The strengths of the book clearly lie in its holistic approach and practicality. Röhe combines scientific findings with practical tools that are directly applicable. His focus on digital and automated forms of business, which pose new challenges for resilience, is particularly valuable.
On a critical note, the vision seems very ambitious at times. The outlook for the year 2035 and the image of the fully self-driving company may seem rather speculative to some readers. In addition, questions about the ethical dimension of automation and the social consequences often take a back seat.
Overall, however, The Resilient Company makes an important contribution to current management literature. It impressively demonstrates that resilience is not a buzzword, but a strategic necessity. For managers who want to make their organisation crisis-proof, the book offers valuable impulses, practical models and a clear message: only those who systematically build up resilience will survive in an unpredictable future.
