--- title: "Risk, Resilience, and How to Find Opportunity in Upheaval" id: "61189" type: "post" slug: "risk-resilience-and-how-to-find-opportunity-in-upheaval" published_at: "2026-03-13T20:19:34+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T19:25:47+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/13/risk-resilience-and-how-to-find-opportunity-in-upheaval/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/13/risk-resilience-and-how-to-find-opportunity-in-upheaval.md" excerpt: "Disruption isn’t slowing down. Associations must rethink their relationship with risk to thrive amid ongoing change." taxonomy_category: - "Organizational Strategy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Risk, Resilience, and How to Find Opportunity in Upheaval Part of the Deep Dive[The Association Imperative](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-association-imperative/) Association leaders don’t need a reminder that the ground is shifting. From federal funding reversals and regulatory uncertainty to economic volatility and political polarization, the disruptions are relentless—and they’re not coming one at a time. The question is no longer whether associations will continue to face upheaval. Instead, it’s whether they’re ready to navigate and lead through it. The answer lies not in being better able to predict what’s coming, but in being prepared to think open-mindedly, challenge long-held assumptions, and embrace the opportunities that change brings. ## The Difference Between Risk and Uncertainty RIMS CEO Gary A. LaBranche, FASAE, CAE, says the starting point for any association navigating turbulence is information—and lots of it. Effective risk management, he argues, is not about avoiding risk. It’s about making informed decisions in its presence. “Risk is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, no business can succeed without taking risks,” LaBranche says. “Making informed, strategic decisions about risk can open the door to new revenue streams, innovation, and market growth.” Jeff De Cagna, AIMP DAIG FRSA FASAE FNI.Dir, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC, draws a critical distinction between risk and uncertainty. Risk, he says, is quantifiable—the known unknowns that boards can assign probability to and plan around. Uncertainty is something different: a persistent condition of the environment that grows and wanes but never disappears. [Sarah Sain, CAE](https://associationsnow.com/author/sarah-sain-cae/) Sarah Sain, CAE, a contributing writer for Associations Now, is the senior manager of marketing and communications at the Association of Old Crows. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/sarah-sain-cae/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [Secrets of Agile Associations](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/13/secrets-of-agile-associations/) - [When Careers Break, Associations Matter More Than Ever](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/13/when-careers-break-associations-matter-more-than-ever/) - [Can You Hear Me Now?](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/16/can-you-hear-me-now/) - [Why Messaging Should Be a Part of Your Core Brand Strategy](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/16/why-messaging-should-be-a-part-of-your-core-brand-strategy/) - [What Satisfying Member Needs Means Now](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/16/what-satisfying-member-needs-means-now/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-association-imperative/) ## You Might Like - [VideoChallenge Legacy Mindsets at MMC+TechApril 17, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/04/17/challenge-legacy-mindsets-at-mmctech/) - [Video2026 Summit Awards DinnerOctober 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/02/2026-summit-awards-dinner/) - [VideoAmerican Geophysical Union: Standing Up for Science: AGU’s Year of Action for Scientists and SocietySeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-geophysical-union-standing-up-for-science-agus-year-of-action-for-scientists-and-society/) - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2026%2F03%2F13%2Frisk-resilience-and-how-to-find-opportunity-in-upheaval%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !