1. Resilience, leadership and recovery
from the Canterbury quakes of
2010-2011: some case studies
Presented by Dr. John Vargo
Co-Leader: Resilient Organisations Research Programme,
University of Canterbury

2. Overview
• The Christchurch Recovery and the
importance of Resilience
• Leadership as a key enabler of resilience
• Three cases of resilient businesses in
Christchurch

3. A Resilience Model
• Definition of resilience: The ability to survive a
crisis and thrive in a world of uncertainty
• The ResOrgs Resilience Model:
ADAPTIVE PLANNED
Leadership Unity of purpose
Staff engagement Effective partnerships
Situation awareness Proactive posture
Decision making Planning strategies
Leveraging knowledge Stress testing plans
Innovation and creativity
Breaking silos
Internal resources
www.resorgs.org.nz

4. Economic Recovery from Disaster
• Economy as a whole
• Individual businesses and organisations

5. Immediate slump and following recovery Economy
(e.g. retail sales) as a
whole
Boom and following slump
(e.g. construction industry during rebuild)
Immediate slump and no full recovery
(e.g. a sector that loses competitiveness)
Event

6. Recovery and Resilience:
Individual Businesses
Type of Event
Crisis or Disaster Catastrophe
Emergency
Least
Decline Resilient
Type of Recovery
Recover fully
Bounce back
Bounce forward Most
Resilient

7. A Resilience Model
• Definition of resilience: The ability to survive a
crisis and thrive in a world of uncertainty
• The ResOrgs Resilience Model:
ADAPTIVE PLANNED
Leadership
Leadership Unity of purpose
Staff engagement Effective partnerships
Situation awareness Proactive posture
Decision making Planning strategies
Leveraging knowledge Stress testing plans
Innovation and creativity
Breaking silos
Internal resources
www.resorgs.org.nz

8. Leadership + Virtue
= ability to mobilise the “leader” in everyone and
maximise the adaptability of businesses and
communities1
1 “Leadership without easy answers” by Ron Heifetz

9. Fide Condita Fructu Beata Spe Fortis
translated means "Founded in Faith,
Rich in the Fulfillment thereof,
Strong in Hope for the Future"
Hope

11. Wisdom Justice
Courage Moderation
Faith Hope Love

12. Panel Beater
Virtues:
Wisdom + Hope
Resilience:
Staff engagement, pro-active,
creativity & innovation, breaking
silos

13. Panel Beater
Key factors to recovery:
-Sought out creative ideas
from staff to solve
challenges faced by multiple shop closures
-Staff support for work practice changes
-Found “silver lining” for customers in
shortened turnaround time

14. IT Retailer
Virtues:
Faith +
Moderation
Resilience:
Effective partnerships, decision making

15. IT Retailer
Key factors to recovery:
-IT Industry Cluster
relationships
-Loyalty of clientele
-Found “silver lining” with reduced costs and synergy with co-
located business

16. Hair Salon
Virtues:
Courage + Love
Resilience:
Unity of Purpose, Situation awareness and
staff engagement

17. Hair Salon
Key factors to recovery:
-Trust and loyalty of staff (due
to owner’s commitment to staff
and effective decisions)
-Loyalty of clientele
-4am friends in the industry
-Access to customer info and bookings from IT supplier in Wellington
-Govt wage subsidy and business interruption insurance to pay staff
-Found “silver lining” with “new generation” staff

18. Recovery and Resilience:
Individual Businesses
Type of Event
Crisis or Disaster Catastrophe
Emergency
Least
Decline Resilient
Type of Recovery
IT Retailer
Recover fully
Bounce back Hair Salon
Panel Beater Most
Bounce forward
Resilient

19. Disaster Recovery
• Resilience Advice:
“Bad Times have a scientific
– Become a great „virtuous‟ value. These are occasions
leader, it is your best a good learner would not
miss.”
insurance Ralph Waldo Emerson
– Look after your people (1803-1882)
– Plan well and strengthen
ability to adapt
– Create regular time to “find the silver
lining”
– Learn from everyday „crisis‟

20. Resilience and Recovery