There is no question that the requirements for strategic leadership are changing in an uncertain environment. In the past, leaders could rely on being experts in a specific functional area.

We were chosen and advanced in the organization for our functional expertise, because we directed people what to do and because we delivered results. We learned through time that we are the ones that need to be unfazed by change, that we need to be the ones walking down the hallways erect, purposeful, in control of our environment.

We knew our stuff, gave directives to our teams and relied on our personalities and charisma to be efficient.  Today’s requirements are very different. Less importance is placed on subject matter knowledge, more on self-knowledge and awareness, on being open to multiple perspectives, to having the capacity to envision and articulate where we want to lead our teams to be effective. 

In my experience, few leaders have acknowledged this level of change in what it means to lead thought uncertainty; fewer have taken steps to build the new skills needed to lead in this time.

There is no doubt: the mindset and skillset changes required to evolve into today’s new leader are significant. I have seen this in many of my client companies where, even though technology continues to drive change in their work environment, people struggling with constant change and uncertainty get stuck. They are afraid to make decisions and move forward. They hit the virtual “pause” button, waiting for certainty to return.

We see how uncertainty can put us on the defense, avoiding risk instead of embracing opportunity. Uncertainty can definitely throw us off our game: we give in, then we give up. But uncertainty can also be a gift, because it allows us to look at challenges from a place of “what can be”, not a place or resignation.

How will you embrace uncertainty – and see it as a way to help your teams realize what is truly possible in this age of uncertainty?

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Bobbie LaPorte draws on the sciences of positive psychology, neuroscience and behavioral fitness to help challenged executives navigate today’s uncharted territory to achieve their goals. Learn how our approach can transform your people, your processes, and your entire organization—and help you get ready for anything!

Bobbie’s new leadership book is available on Amazon now!

As leaders in an uncertain environment, we rarely have the answers our teams expect from us and trying to “spin” how we respond, pretending that we do have the answers will not help us. We don’t know where to turn for support for fear of seeming week and irrelevant, even as our natural networks of supporters disappear. Deep down, we are afraid that our eroding feelings confidence and competence will be found out, and that can be a paralyzing thought in our demanding and competitive workplace where our identity has been largely defined by how we perform at work.

And that can be a scary and unsettling thought. In an uncertain world, our instincts tell us that it is impossible to have all answers. We can’t possibly know how to confidently answer every question that is posed to us, to choose the right course of action, to give clear and informed direction to our team – even as the world shifts and changes around us. Deep in our being..we know this; and yet it feels wrong. It runs against everything we have learned about what it means to be “the boss”. And our ego is our own worst enemy to admitting that we don’t have the answer.

In our survey of tech leaders on managing through uncertainty, not having the answers was cited as the most frustrating issue for today’s leaders. So, how do you retain confidence in the face of not knowing?

The strategy I recommend here is to approach challenges from a strengths and capacity angle, focusing on the assets you have available.  Start with your best tools: what do you know; what are your strengths, what are you known for in the organization?

Start with what you have done in similar situations in the past. What worked? What did you learn? What are the common denominators that have created solutions for you time and time again?  Uncertainty changes what you need to know: you don’t need to know the solution….only that you are going to get there. Your role now is to be a “Navigator” in uncharted territory. And navigators are never irrelevant.

Not having the answer starts with asking question: “What is the possibility here?”  – being to open yourself up to the vulnerability of not knowing.  This is the entry point to having a possibilities mindset, and to inventorying, accessing and deploying the strengths, talents and assets available.  For today’s leaders, this becomes a capacity issue. What is the present capacity of your team? How do you intentionally build additional capacity in your team to position them to handle future challenges (and there definitely will be) more effectively. And how are you creating the necessary mindsets, behaviors and infrastructure that will enable people quickly shift their value contribution to where it is most needed?  If you take this approach, you just mind find that the best tools to solve a problem already exist in yourself and your team; they are the ones you rely on every day.

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Bobbie LaPorte draws on the sciences of positive psychology, neuroscience and behavioral fitness to help challenged executives navigate today’s uncharted territory to achieve their goals. Visit bobbielaporte.com to learn how our approach can transform your people, your processes, and your entire organization—and help you get ready for anything!