DISRUPTION CAN CREEP like the ocean’s rising tide or suddenly overwhelm like a storm surge. On rare occasions, as the past 12 months harshly reminded us, it can do both at the same time.

Few organizations were adequately prepared for the turmoil that inundated global markets in 2020. The confluence of a global health pandemic, social and political unrest, and worsening climate events upended the private and public sectors around the world. Mounting challenges during the year expanded the concept of preparedness in ways many leaders didn’t anticipate and pressured them in ways many couldn’t imagine.

For this report, Deloitte Global surveyed 2,260 private- and public-sector CXOs in 21 countries and  spoke to C-suite executives across multiple industries  to examine how leaders and their organizations are grappling with the “new normal” as they face tough choices, explore new ways of operating, and confront fundamental shifts in their strategies.

These are important issues because most global CXOs believe 2020 may not be an outlier. 

More than six in 10 of those we surveyed said they think we’re likely to see either occasional or regular disruptions of this scale going forward, and three quarters said they believe the climate crisis is of similar or greater magnitude compared to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ultimately, this is a study of resilience. It confirms that organizations that plan and invest in anticipation of disruption—whether it’s gradual transformation or a sudden pandemic—are better positioned to adapt, rebound, and endure. It validates the notion that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And it offers proven lessons for increasing organizations’ viability and health during adversity.