I’ve Spent My Career in One of the World’s Most Volatile Industries. Here’s What It’s Taught Me About Agility, Risk and Resilience.

As CEO of Bayegan Group, according to the author, she has spent her career operating at the crossroads of global energy trade and geopolitics. The energy sector is one of the most volatile industries in the world — vulnerable to the decisions of governments, shipping and logistics constraints, the pace of technology and market sentiment.  But these conditions are no longer unique to energy. Today, every entrepreneur, regardless of their industry, is being asked to navigate an environment where tides are constantly changing.

1. Embracing strategic agility.  Strategic agility then becomes the most valuable asset in a company’s arsenal. This doesn’t mean abandoning vision for improvisation, but rather designing that vision with enough elasticity to account for the unexpected. Diversification is often talked about in risk terms, but the authors sees it as a tool of opportunity. When Shell made the deliberate pivot to liquefied natural gas (LNG), it was hedging against the decline of oil profits.  But it was also repositioning itself for a future where gas would become the key transition fuel — more politically palatable than coal, more scalable than solar and more easily transportable than hydrogen. This was pre-emptive agility embedded into strategic DNA, rather than a reactionary move (as some cynics might argue).  At BGN, our logistics network spans multiple shipping routes because we expect disruption. By the same token, operating in many markets provides insulation. Whether operating in Türkiye, the Gulf, Africa or Asia, the growth corridors we operate in are insulated from one another.
2. Multi-layered risk management.  Geopolitics are shifting and demand a nuanced and proactive approach to risk management. The conflict in Ukraine and ensuing market chaos made this abundantly clear — Europe scrambled to reduce its over-reliance on Russian gas but had no plan.  In the absence of alternatives, policymakers are forced to react to crises with blunt instruments — emergency subsidies, rationing or hasty trade deals, to name a few.  But when the private sector has already laid the groundwork for supply diversity by investing in critical infrastructure, cultivating global relationships or expanding renewables, it gives governments room to maneuver and provides options.
3. Leading through uncertainty with transparency.  Communication is a leadership function that sets the tone for how a company is perceived during a crisis. It doesn’t require certainty, but it does demand clarity about how you’re responding.  The most effective leaders don’t speculate or deflect; they communicate data-driven responses and demonstrate proactive thinking, even when facing uncertainty.
4. Learning from experience: Real-world case studies.  Some of the most valuable lessons the author  has taken forward as a leader have come from crises that forced them to re-examine standard practices.  Now, more than ever, it is crucial that organizations deepen their risk modelling. Mapping the political cycles, trade exposure and social volatility is just as crucial as economic forecasts. This has allowed my firm to match sourcing strategies to risk profiles, to stagger our commitments where needed, and, if necessary, to walk away from tempting opportunities that do not provide certainty.
5. Data-driven decision making: Staying ahead.  One of the most undervalued leadership skills is the ability to pause in a moment of noise and ask: What does the data actually say? Decision-making grounded in emotion or urgency can become a liability, yet it’s difficult to avoid in the world I’ve so far described. The leaders who outperform are rarely the loudest or the boldest. They’re the ones who build their reactions on substance.
6. Looking ahead: Future-proofing your business.  Future-proofing a business requires embedding resilience into strategy, continuously anticipating changes and proactively adapting to emerging challenges. It asks a different question: What are you building into your business today that will still hold value when the playing field changes tomorrow?
7. Building long-term resilience.  Leaders do not choose when disruptions happen, but they control how prepared they are to respond and guide others through the change. The past few years have made this clear across industries: agility, risk management and transparent communication are requirements, no longer just advantages.  Resilience stems from disciplined planning for multiple outcomes. This is again reinforced by investing in clarity — whether through data, relationships or internal alignment. It endures when your team, your partners and your stakeholders trust that you will not crumble the moment the winds change.  The most forward-thinking leaders let go of the illusion that resilience is about knowing what’s coming. Agility, risk management and transparency are not optional but essential for long-term resilience.