Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Key Takeaways
- Don’t implement sudden, sweeping changes at the first sign of disruption. Start small and prioritize strategically.
- The traditional hiring playbook prioritizes credibility, technical skills and industry experience — but these are no longer enough. You and your team must be adaptable to survive the modern business environment.
- Practice your crisis thinking skills — a.k.a. the deliberate practice of asking “what if” so you’re prepared to act when things go wrong.
On Jan. 15, 2009, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, a blow that quickly shut down both of the plane’s engines. Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and his crew had just 208 seconds to do something for which they had never trained, with zero room for error: an emergency water landing on the Hudson River. Incredibly, they pulled it off, and all 155 people on board survived.
The event was quickly dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson,” but it wasn’t quite that.
“I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation to handle that particular moment,” Sullenberger later reflected.
“One way of looking at this might be that, for 42 years, I’ve been making small regular deposits in this bank of experience… and on Jan. 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”
A bird strike is one of those rare horrors that is virtually impossible to predict. But as a former Air Force pilot who later trained flight crews to respond to in-air emergencies, Sullenberger was about as versed in the unpredictable as any one person could be. When his impossible moment arrived, he had something better than a plan — he had a prepared mind.
As leaders in 2026, there is no possible way to anticipate every potential hazard or curveball the coming year may throw our way. Instead of trying to predict the future, do this.
Make shifts strategically
One of the big mistakes that leaders make during any sort of major shift, be it an economic downturn or the sudden emergence of generative AI, is to implement sudden, sweeping changes without thinking them through. We’ve seen plenty of examples of this since ChatGPT hit the mainstream, from CEOs who hastily laid off their entire staff to fast-food chains that put half-baked technology to work, to disastrous effect (bacon ice cream, anyone?).
When implementing any sort of change, my advice is to start small and prioritize strategically. A recent study from MIT found that 95% of attempts to incorporate generative AI into business are failing, and many organizations are abandoning their AI initiatives after pouring billions into their development.
It’s not the technology that’s at fault; it’s that leaders are trying to transform everything simultaneously and failing to examine what actually matters. Stephanie Woerner, director of the MIT Center for Information Systems Research, explains that experimentation is only the first phase of integrating AI into operations and that there’s a big step between building a pilot and truly developing “an AI way of working.” Spending adequate time in this space means fewer blown resources and a clearer understanding of where AI actually adds value versus where it’s simply chasing a trend.
Hire for adaptability
The real reason Sullenberger was able to land that plane was the same reason some founders can survive major market shifts and unpredictable headwinds: adaptability.
Anyone who intends to stay in business for long should have adaptability baked into their core. But equally important is having a team that shares that quality.
The traditional hiring playbook prioritizes credentials, technical skills and industry experience. These things are important, certainly, but they’re no longer enough. What matters now is how candidates cope with change, like a key skill suddenly becoming obsolete or when a sudden crisis demands fast, creative problem-solving.
Instead of looking only at existing knowledge, look for evidence of adaptability in action. Does this person demonstrate curiosity and a willingness to learn outside their comfort zone? Can they point to moments when they had to abandon the plan and improvise? I recently hired a product manager who had spent years in healthcare technology. While her previous sector had little in common with the role she’d be filling at Jotform, she impressed me with how she talked about transferring her experience. Working in an environment where mistakes had serious consequences had taught her to anticipate problems before they escalated and to design systems that could be trusted to perform under pressure.
Future-minded hiring means finding people who won’t freeze when circumstances shift dramatically. Ask candidates about times they’ve had to navigate ambiguity, learn a new skill under pressure, or challenge their own assumptions. Listen to how they think, not just what they know.
I’m grateful to work with a team with adaptability carved into their DNA at Jotform. It helped us immeasurably when we decided to quickly develop AI-powered versions of our tried-and-true products, like AI form builders.
Practice crisis thinking
Crisis thinking may sound a lot like catastrophizing, but there’s an important distinction. Catastrophizing is spinning worst-case scenarios in your head until you’re paralyzed by anxiety. Crisis thinking is the deliberate practice of asking “what if” so you’re prepared to act when things go wrong.
The best leaders regularly ask the uncomfortable questions that will better prepare them for the future. Back when Jotform was still a startup, I asked myself what would happen if a major competitor decided to enter the forms space. I didn’t enjoy picturing the scenario, but it did help me gain clarity on what the challenges would be and what set Jotform apart in a way that couldn’t be replicated.
When I heard that Google would be releasing a product in direct competition with ours, I was not pleased, but I also wasn’t completely panicked or blindsided. We doubled down on the features that made us different, like superior customization and a laser focus on user experience. Because I’d mentally rehearsed that threat, I could move quickly and strategically instead of scrambling to figure out the next move.
Preparation doesn’t mean you won’t be stressed in the face of crisis or change. What it does is eliminate paralysis. If, like Sullenberger, you make regular deposits in the bank of experience, you’ll have plenty to draw on when you really need it.
Key Takeaways
- Don’t implement sudden, sweeping changes at the first sign of disruption. Start small and prioritize strategically.
- The traditional hiring playbook prioritizes credibility, technical skills and industry experience — but these are no longer enough. You and your team must be adaptable to survive the modern business environment.
- Practice your crisis thinking skills — a.k.a. the deliberate practice of asking “what if” so you’re prepared to act when things go wrong.
On Jan. 15, 2009, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, a blow that quickly shut down both of the plane’s engines. Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and his crew had just 208 seconds to do something for which they had never trained, with zero room for error: an emergency water landing on the Hudson River. Incredibly, they pulled it off, and all 155 people on board survived.
The event was quickly dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson,” but it wasn’t quite that.
“I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation to handle that particular moment,” Sullenberger later reflected.
“One way of looking at this might be that, for 42 years, I’ve been making small regular deposits in this bank of experience… and on Jan. 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”