As the famous saying by American football player and coach Lou Holtz goes: Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.

The same can be said for the business community, which, in Malta at least, has had to contend with challenge after challenge going back to Brexit, the pandemic, the ensuing supply chain crisis, staff shortages, the war in Ukraine, and the resulting rapid rise in inflation.

Business leaders have been going from challenge to challenge – having to learn to be agile, flexible, proactive – where possible, reactive – where necessary, and on-the-ball.

Echoing this sentiment, Farsons Group CEO Norman Aquilina, writing in his personal capacity on the professional social networking platform LinkedIn, last week stressed that:

“Challenging times can actually be a catalyst for much needed change, contributing towards a more resilient and competitive corporate culture.”

And, while many may feel burnt out after years of a challenging environment, Mr Aquilina writes:

“Similar to operating within a highly competitive environment, challenging times can help you work smarter, promote more creativity and further drive innovation. It can also intill added focus on any needed adjustment to one’s business model.”

He cautions against businesses that take a defensive stance, waiting for whatever these uncertain times throw at them.

“Those businesses that simply brace themselves in dealing with whatever the market throws at them, even when taking all the necessary mitigating and cost-containment measures, are at best survivors.

“The true winners are those that go beyond. Those that adopt the right mindset. Those that have the ability of seeing the bigger picture, equally looking at the bottom line and upcoming horizon.

“This visibility, combined with the necessary strategic preparedness and proactiveness is what will make the performance of a business stand out from the rest, especially during challenging times.”