How to Lead Through Uncertainty

Seven things to do when sh*t hits the fan 

I entered 2024 with a lot of enthusiasm and confidence. I was especially excited to have data that proves the methods I’ve used to help leaders build healthy cultures are working. One of my long-term clients has improved their employee engagement scores by more than 30%! 

I help leaders create high-performing teams by achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) outcomes. Here’s what I mean:

• Diversity: I help leaders measure and track the differences (both visible and invisible) of their staff. 

• Equity: I help leaders create fair policies and practices so all staff have what they need in order to thrive. 

• Inclusion: I help leaders build high-performing teams where all staff feel safe, valued, respected, and heard.

It’s hard to argue with those definitions, right? Well…that’s what I thought.  

The Challenge

Being a DEI consultant has always been challenging, but I never could have anticipated the obstacles my colleagues and I have had to navigate in 2024. 

Throughout the year, I watched election commercials politicize and weaponize DEI. Misinformation and an increase in fear has meant significant budget cuts to initatives that make the workplace more safe and fair for people who lack power.

As the year progressed, I started to receive more emails from clients requesting to cancel our work together. I watched executive leaders become increasingly dysregulated and reactive to employee feedback. Ultimately I have spent more time explaining why healthy cultures are important than I have actually doing the strategic work required to make meaningful change. 

The Impact 

To address my unexpected loss in revenue, I pushed myself harder than I ever have before. I invested in my first-ever website and began marketing my services. I launched an 8-week change management course to help organizations build their internal capacity to manage complex change. I co-authored and published six free resources, including a DEI Council Resource Guide and maturity benchmarking tool.  

Shocking no one, I started to experience frustrating health issues this year. After a series of time consuming doctor appointments with little answers, I finally had to get honest with myself. The chronic stress was taking a toll on my body. 

I’m so proud of the business I’ve built, but I’ve never felt physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion like this. It’s been hard for me to admit, but the truth is, I’m burnt out. 

Unfortunately, I’m not alone. Over the past few months, an overwhelming number of clients and colleagues have shared with me they also feel anxious, overwhelmed, and scared. Regardless of industry, role, level, or years of experience, being a leader is more challenging than ever before. 

The Reality 

One of the greatest sources of anxiety for leaders is having to navigate uncertainty. And for most people, things feel really uncertain right now. Between the incoming administration and the rapid expansion of AI technology, it’s hard to plan for the next four months, let alone the next four years. 

Uncertainty is difficult for people because human beings crave predictability. When things are ambiguous, we feel vulnerable, anxious, and stressed.  

Our brains are wired for certainty and we interpret the unknown as a potential threat. Unknowingly, ambiguity sends us immediately into fight-or-flight mode. And while financial insecurity is not the same as being in physical danger, uncertainty triggers the same area of the brain that causes us to panic.

The Solution

Heading into 2025, there’s a lot still up in the air for me and my business. But thanks to the guidance of wise coaches and teammates, I’ve learned a lot this year about how to navigate these strange times. Here are seven practical strategies you can use to lead effectively through uncertainty. 

1. Pay attention to your body. 

I know it sounds cliché, but it’s true. The more I ignored my physical health this year, the sicker I got. I used to roll my eyes when my therapist asked me, “where do you feel that in your body?” but my coaching program taught me that our physical reactions reveal what is important to us. The more in tune we are to our physical sensations, the more likely we are to unlock how we actually feel about something. 

Reflect: What physical sensations (e.g., heart racing, face flushing, sweating, stomach aches, tightness in your chest) are you experiencing? Be as specific as possible about where you feel it in your body and when it happens. 

2. Regulate yourself. 

Once you’ve noticed your body’s response to stress, prioritize calming your nervous system. The ability to self-regulate is one of the most underrated leadership skills. We’ve all witnessed leaders react defensively to questions or feedback from staff – it’s one of the quickest ways to erode trust with your team. Leaders who can regulate their emotions and behavior are better able to manage stress, make decisions, and deal with conflict in a healthy way.

Great leaders find a way to ground themselves when they are stressed. Physical activity and spending time outdoors significantly improves self-regulation. Regular breathing, mindfulness or yoga exercises are also fantastic ways to regulate yourself, but for those of us with busy minds (hi!) it can be hard to make them a consistent habit. 

Overwhelmed with where to start? Start small. Find a friend to take a work out class with. Ask your colleagues to have a phone call instead of a zoom meeting so you can walk and talk outside. Start your next meeting with one minute of breathing so participants can center themselves. 

Reflect: How can you regulate your nervous system when you’re in threat-mode? 

3. Name your feelings. 

It seems simple, but many leaders lack the ability to name their emotions. Human beings are not rational. Many of us overthinkers (like me!) believe that if we just focus a little harder, we can think our way out of any situation.

While this is a nice idea in theory, in reality this loop keeps us stuck in a rut. Naming your emotions allows you to interrupt your threat-response and puts you in choice around how you want to respond.   

“We are not thinking machines that feel, we are feeling machines that think”

― António R. Damásio, Neuroscientist

Reflect: How do you really feel about this situation? Use the feelings wheel and select the three emotions most present for you.

4. Process your emotions and ask for help. 

When you feel anxious about the future, it’s time to get back to basics. Suppressing our emotions negatively impacts our physical and mental wellbeing, making it harder to show up the way you want to for your team. You can’t pour from an empty cup. 

Great leaders find healthy ways to process their emotions. There is time to process your feelings. There is time for grief. There is time for anger. There is time for sadness. Make the time.

Slowing down will help you go fast later on. Say “no” to more things. Extend deadlines. Delegate tasks. Ask for help. Talk to a trusted leadership coach or colleague to reflect on your situation and gain a new perspective. 

Reflect: How will you process your emotions? What do you need to fill you back up? Where can you get support?

5. Prioritize what is in your control.

Humans love being in control almost as much as we love certainty. Feeling like we have control helps us feel safe and secure.

Fixating on things outside of control leads makes us even more overwhelmed. To combat feelings of helplessness, slow down to identify: 

• What impacts you, but you have no ability to influence (e.g., The economy, your industry, a global pandemic) 

• What you can influence, but not control (e.g., Executive leadership decisions, relationships) 

• What you can control (e.g., Your words, decisions, actions, behaviors) 

To help you decide where to spend your precious time and resources, prioritize the actions in your control. Focusing on your own behaviors increases your ability to make informed decisions and achieve your goals.  

Reflect: What are the decisions and behaviors you can control? What can you influence, but ultimately do not control? What impacts you, but you are unable to influence? 

6. Build community. 

Navigating uncertainty can feel incredibly lonely. For many of us who experience anxiety, reaching out to people can feel like a huge hurdle to overcome. Even though my instinct is to isolate when I’m stressed, disconnecting from the communities that care about me creates a false sense of safety. 

When the future feels uncertain, it’s more important than ever to proactively seek out and foster a strong sense of community. When people make meaningful connections and feel they belong to something bigger than themselves, they are most likely to mitigate stress and the risk of chronic disease.  

Reflect: What communities do you feel most supported by? Who could you connect with that would fill your cup?

7. Be in service of others. 

When you feel up to it, find creative ways to give back to the communities you care about. Being in service of others improves your sense of personal fulfillment and overall happiness.

It may seem counterintuitive to spend time and energy on giving back when you’re already exhausted, but similar to physical activity, reconnecting to your core values and purpose actually re-energizes you. 

Reflect: What can you offer other people right now without expecting anything in return? How do you want to show up for others right now?  

While I wouldn’t say I’ve learned to “embrace” uncertainty this year, moving through these strategies has been a game changer for me the past few months. Thank you for all you do to foster safe, fair, and inclusive workplaces. Hang in there, team!