Experience vs Resilience: The Age of Disruption is Changing How Firms Approach Leadership
December 1, 2025 – Executive hiring used to follow a simple rule: find someone who’s already delivered the next stage of growth. That worked when markets moved in straight lines. Now they don’t—and leaders are judged less by replaying old playbooks and more by how quickly they adapt when conditions change. The way firms have hired executive leadership has been pretty simple: If you’ve wanted to grow from $500 million to $1 billion, you go out and find someone who has already done it, according to a recent report from Beecher Reagan. “Experience has been king, and finding an executive who has led a straight-line growth journey has been the most important factor, if they could do it there, they can do it here,” the study said.
That’s not entirely the case anymore. From recent conversations Beecher Reagan had with clients, firms aren’t just looking for “been there, done that” experience. “The world is moving too fast,” the report said. “Technology and AI are reshaping industries at a pace no one has seen before.”
What firms are looking for now more than ever isn’t just experience; Beecher Reagan explained it’s resilience.
How Firms Should Alter Their Approach
Today, firms need leaders who have demonstrated agility, are comfortable navigating the unknown, and have a track record of handling disruption, according to the Beecher Reagan report . “It’s less about proving you’ve run the same growth journey before, and more about showing you can adapt, pivot, and figure things out faster than the competition on that growth journey,” it said.
The study noted that means that when it’s time to hire your next executive, look for leaders who:
- Understand technology, not just at a surface level but with real affinity.
- Have experience with product development and business model shifts.
- Know how to lead through transitions and ambiguity.
- Are comfortable being uncomfortable and able to pivot.
Because Beecher Reagan’s clients continue to emphasize the importance of resilience, the firm’s message to them is simple: Let’s be willing to look deeper than the straight-line success a candidate displays on paper.
Related: AI and its Impact on the Global Workforce
“While the been there, done that type candidates with proven growth journeys are still great candidates, firms need to dig deeper to understand the role someone played in the journey, what disruption they faced, how they pivoted, and what the result was,” the report said. “The better a candidate can speak to those questions, the higher the likelihood they can lead an organization or practice to thrive no matter what comes their way. Sometimes it’s not the most experienced candidate on paper who would be the best leader for the future.”
How Candidates Can Better Prepare Themselves
Whether you’re actively searching for a new role or not, the best thing you can be doing for your career is building your disruption résumé, the Beecher Reagan report explained. “The key here is not to wait to be disrupted—disrupt yourself,” it said. “Start paying attention to where the market is headed and making bets that will better position your organization to succeed. Show where you’ve been the one to spot change early, adapt your model, and commercialize a new approach.”
How AI Is Reshaping the Talent Pyramid
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the professional services landscape, upending the decades-old leverage model that has long defined the industry. According to Clark R. Beecher of Beecher Reagan, the traditional talent pyramid is collapsing from the bottom as firms rely less on junior analysts. This shift is forcing organizations to rethink recruiting strategies, redeploy investments, and prepare mid-level leaders to step into tomorrow’s go-to-market roles. Let’s take a closer look!
Beecher Reagan points to Accenture as an example. Nearly a decade ago, they started weaving AI (or at least early technologies that became AI) into their outsourcing practice. They didn’t do it because they had to. They did it because they believed it would put them ahead—they disrupted themselves before AI forced them to transform. That move created efficiencies, created higher profit margins, and set the bar for everyone else in the industry.
“That’s the kind of story firms want to hear,” the Beecher Reagan report said. “Not just that you were along for the ride as disruption occurred, but that you helped steer through the storm. If you can tell those stories, you’re set up to lead in the future and are more likely to be called upon when the best opportunities arise.”
Founded in 2009 by Clark Beecher and Tim Reagan, Beecher Reagan is an executive search and leadership firm focused exclusively on senior professional services and the consulting talent market. The firm brings more than 100 years of combined experience to help professional services, Fortune 500 and alternative investment companies map search strategies to organizational goals. The partners at Beecher Reagan have longstanding relationships within the consulting, professional services, and private equity space.
Related: Talent and Technology: A New Generation of Leadership Enters the C-Suite
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
