Mentor, Connect, Lead: Building the Future of Resilence Together

By Lisa Jones

Recently, I attended DRJ Spring 2025, and it was everything I hoped for. Insightful sessions, practical strategies, emerging technologies like AI, and most importantly, time spent networking with friends and colleagues in the field.

But what left the biggest impression, and gave me the most hope, was meeting so many new faces in resilience. People stepping into the profession for the first time, full of energy, curiosity, and purpose. Those conversations reminded me that our greatest asset isn’t a platform, a policy, or even a plan. It’s our people.

Human Connection is the Heart of Resilience

When we talk about shaping the future of our profession, the focus often lands on evolving threats, smarter tech, or stronger frameworks—and yes, those matter. But the core of resilience has always been about human connection.

Volunteerism, Networking, and Mentorship

At DRJ, I connected with first-time attendees and emerging professionals who asked, “Where do I start?” or “How can I grow in this field?” It took me back to my early days as an administrative assistant who was suddenly handed a new assignment: business continuity. I didn’t have a clue what it meant—let alone how I ended up drawing the short straw. What I did find were people willing to share their time, stories, and wisdom.

That’s why volunteerism, networking, and mentorship are so powerful. You don’t need a title or a formal program to make a difference. A kind word, a shared experience, or just being willing to answer a question can shape someone’s entire career path.

You don’t need a title or a formal program to make a difference

Soft Skills are Strategic Tools

It’s easy to frame resilience in terms of plans and protocols, but what often gets overlooked are the soft skills: empathy, communication, trust-building, emotional intelligence. These aren’t buzzwords. They are the skills that help us lead through uncertainty, unify teams in crisis, and guide recovery with compassion.

Some of the best moments at DRJ happened outside the session rooms—in hallways, over coffee, and in spontaneous conversations. Stories of real challenges, hard-earned lessons, and quiet victories. These aren’t things you find on a checklist—but they’re the glue that holds our profession together.

Building Diverse Communities of Thought and Practice

If resilience is to remain relevant, it must also be inclusive. That means making space for diverse voices—across race, gender, geography, background, and perspective. Real innovation happens when we welcome different views, challenge assumptions, and create solutions that reflect the complexity of our world. Diversity in people and in ideas isn’t just nice to have. It’s what strengthens us.

From the Organization to the Community

Resilience doesn’t stop at the office door. The disruptions we prepare for impact families, neighborhoods, and communities. If we limit our work to internal frameworks, we’re missing a bigger opportunity.

True resilience lives in the spaces where we live, volunteer, and lead. Whether you’re mentoring a student, running a workshop at a local nonprofit, or simply checking in on a fellow professional, you’re helping build a more resilient world.

This is our moment to lead with intention. To build resilience that goes beyond org charts and incident timelines. Let’s keep showing up for each other—through mentorship, through community, and through every opportunity we have to lift someone else.

That’s how we build the future.

A Call to Action

Start a conversation:

• Reach out to someone new.

• Share your time, your knowledge, or just a word of encouragement.

Whether inside your organization or out in your community, your impact matters.

Let’s not wait for permission to lead. We already are.

Tell me—how are you building resilience beyond the job description?

Drop a comment, share your story, or tag someone who inspires you. 

Let’s learn from each other and build a stronger, more connected profession together.

About Lisa Jones

Lisa is a co-founder of the Resilience Think Tank and has over 15 years promoting resiliency and elevating contingency planning visibility. She is a gifted communicator who readily shares insight on planning awareness, recovery strategies and industry trends, through presentations, articles and thought leadership projects.