Forging Resilience

"If you’ve always done it that way, it is probably wrong."

Charles Kettering wasn’t just an inventor—he was a visionary with over 180 patents to his name, revolutionizing industries from automobiles to agriculture. He transformed the way we live, work, and move by questioning what others accepted as unchangeable. His words speak directly to the heart of innovation: resilience doesn’t come from sticking to what’s worked in the past, but from having the courage to disrupt your own success.

Kettering knew that true progress only happens when you’re willing to challenge what feels safe. In today’s unpredictable market, the companies that thrive are those that constantly question, adapt, and evolve—those that recognize that even what worked yesterday could hold them back tomorrow.

"The hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago but will soon be out of date."

When creative thinker and author Roger von Oech famously said this, he wasn’t just addressing the passage of time—he was confronting the very nature of change itself. Change is inevitable, and market trends shift like the wind. Von Oech’s words remind us that what feels safe today may already be on its way to irrelevance. Often, the greatest act of resilience is knowing when to stop doing what’s working and start doing what’s necessary.

This is a reality every leader must face: success demands the courage and wisdom to step away from what’s familiar, even when it seems to be working. It’s in this uncertain space—where adaptation is the key to survival—that businesses can truly thrive.

"Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken."

Warren Buffett’s insight touches on one of the greatest challenges in business: the invisible weight of routine. Habits often form slowly, unnoticed, until they bind us so tightly that change feels impossible. Buffett understood that resilience means recognizing those chains early and having the courage to break free—before they become a burden.

In times of uncertainty, it’s those bold enough to break free of their habits, to rewrite the rules, who will lead the way. Because in the end, resilience isn’t about holding on—it’s about letting go.