(Graphic | Courtesy of Vistage Int’l 667)
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that uncertainty isn’t the exception — it’s the norm. In the current environment of economic instability, global conflict, rapid technological disruption and political division, it’s clear we’re not heading toward calmer waters anytime soon. For business leaders, the call is clear: we must learn to lead well in volatile times, not just wait for them to pass.
Uncertainty Reveals Leadership
It’s easy to lead when times are good. Growth is up, customers are happy, cash is flowing. But real leadership is forged in challenge — when the future is foggy and the stakes are high.
Economic pressure has a way of clarifying priorities. It forces us to evaluate what’s essential and discard what’s not. During these times, strong leaders don’t panic. They anchor themselves in purpose, seek wisdom from trusted advisors and make steady, intentional decisions.
In times of volatility, your team doesn’t need you to have all the answers. They need you to listen, to communicate clearly and to model resilience. Your steadiness sets the tone.
What Leadership Looks Like Now
Leading through uncertainty isn’t about predicting the future — it’s about preparing for it. Here are a few foundational strategies I’m encouraging leaders to adopt right now:
- Clarify Your Core: Revisit your mission. Why do you exist? Who do you serve? What values will you not compromise? In uncertain times, clarity of purpose becomes your compass.
- Strengthen Your Team: Invest in your people. Equip them, encourage them and invite them into meaningful conversations. A united, engaged team will outperform a scattered one every time.
- Prioritize Margin: You don’t need more complexity — you need margin. Margin in your finances. Margin in your calendar. Margin in your mindset. Healthy margin gives you options.
- Plan with Contingencies: We can’t predict what’s next, but we can prepare contingency plans in anticipation of potential opportunities and challenges. Think in terms of “if this, then that.” Build simple, flexible plans that allow for quick adjustments without abandoning your core.
- Lead with Integrity: More than ever, people are watching how leaders behave under pressure. Now is the time to choose character over compromise and principle over panic.
An Impact Perspective
I believe business is not just a means of generating money, it is a platform for impact. Therefore, I see turbulent times as more than a leadership challenge — I see them as an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others. There are few lessons to be learned or taught when times are easy. It’s in the times of testing that we can model wise responses. When leaders root their decisions in timeless truths, rather than temporary trends, expediency and situational ethics, they build people and create organizations that not only survive volatility, but shine in the midst of it.
Moving Forward
You may not control the economy, political decisions, or the next AI breakthrough — but you do control how you lead your team through it all. Uncertainty, while it may sometimes feel uncomfortable, can also be embraced as fascinating and exhilarating. Uncertainty opens space for opportunity. An unpredictable environment has a way of refining and refocusing us. It reveals what we trust, who we are and what kind of leaders we’re becoming. Let’s lead proactively with curiosity, positive expectancy, creativity, courage, generosity and faith.
Michael Sipe is a Central Oregon mergers and acquisitions advisor and executive coach.
