Agility: The #1 Skill of the Future—and Why Most Teams Are Lacking It

I recently came across a striking Gallup poll that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

In this survey, hundreds of successful business owners were asked to identify which employee attributes are most critical to the success of their businesses in the coming years.

Before I reveal the top answer—pause and ask yourself:
What would YOU say is the most valuable attribute an employee can have in today’s workplace?

If you guessed agility, you’re spot on.

So, what exactly is agility?

Agility is the ability to respond to uncertainty, stress, adversity, rapidly changing demands, and evolving information efficiently, effectively, and flexibly. It’s the capacity to pivot quickly and creatively—especially in times of pressure and disruption.

This skill is not just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s becoming a must-have in a world where disruption is the norm.

But here’s the kicker:
Despite recognizing agility as the most important attribute, these same business owners reported that only 18% of their employees actually demonstrate it.

Let that sink in.

Can you imagine leading a workforce where fewer than 1 in 5 employees embody what you believe is the most important skill for the future?

This disconnect is not just a talent gap—it’s a crisis of adaptability.

The Viktor Frankl Connection: Choice in Chaos

This dilemma reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Viktor Frankl:

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

Agility lives in that space. It’s the ability to choose growth and opportunity in the face of stress and uncertainty.
It’s in this space that we either react out of fear, or respond with resilience and intention.

But here’s a key insight:

You can’t control your emotions.

Many people think resilience and agility require emotional control. But that’s a myth.
Emotions arise from the limbic system—a primitive, automatic part of the brain wired for survival. It often fires before we can consciously think.

What you can control, however, is how you respond to your emotions—and that’s where the magic of agility begins.

Enter: The Prefrontal Cortex

Creative problem-solving, value-based decision-making, and intentional pivoting all come from the prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for conscious thought, logic, and planning.

The challenge is this:
You can’t access your prefrontal cortex when your limbic system is running the show.

If you want to lead with agility, you must learn to regulate your emotional reactions and move into the part of your brain that allows for higher-order thinking.

Agility Must Be Anchored in Authenticity

You can’t fake agility.

Throwing random "resilience hacks" at a stressed-out team without anchoring those tools in authentic identity is like throwing paint on a wall without primer. It may stick for a moment—but it won't last.

Instead, you must anchor agility to your True North—your core values, strengths, purpose, and self-awareness. This alignment creates a foundation that makes it possible to pivot without losing yourself in the process.

The Pandemic Test

During the height of the pandemic, I worked with several business owners who didn’t just survive—they experienced record growth and profits.

How?

They had built an authentic resilience strategy that prepared them for uncertainty.
When the world changed overnight, they didn’t freeze. They pivoted.
They weren’t shaken because their resilience wasn’t a tactic—it was part of their DNA.

They accessed their prefrontal cortex. They leaned into their values. And they saw opportunity where others saw only obstacles.

The Bottom Line: Agility Is the Future

Research—and experience—tell us the same thing:
Over the next 5 to 10 years, agility will be the defining trait of hyper-successful leaders and teams.

And here’s the good news:
Agility can be learned. But it has to be built from the inside out.

At our firm, we help teams develop authentic resilience and agility—not with cookie-cutter tactics, but by aligning strategies to each individual’s identity and core values.

Want to Build Authentic Agility?

If you're ready to lead with resilience, respond with intention, and build an agile workforce equipped for the future…

📩 Reply with “I want to be agile!” and my team will connect with you.

In your corner,
– Dr. Andy