Does big uncertain news loom large for your team or organization these days? Perhaps a policy changes the rules in the way you used to do the work. Maybe there is a natural disaster that causes upheaval. Or a major funding source dries up, or a prominent leader suddenly resigns.
It’s hard to lead in these moments when it feels like the rug is pulled out from under you. Often, you don’t have answers, and the team is looking to you for questions. In these moments, here are four foundational ideas to help you weather uncertain moments together.
Pause and Create Space
When big questions are looming, our impulse is to jump in, problem solve and do something (anything!)! In her book on leading in complexity, author Jennifer Berger calls this the “action urge.” In times of stress and uncertainty, we are wired to resolve discomfort - and a common way to do that is to take action. At these times, our most powerful tool is to pause, and create space for reflection. Reach out to others experiencing the same challenges, check in with your own values and intuition .. and create spaces for your team to reflect together! It’s easy to feel the responsibility to solve it for everyone. But the truth is a half-planned answer developed in the moment can be far more damaging than just pausing the discuss the considerations you are managing, tell them team what you just don’t yet know (eg we are waiting for X meeting / vote / regulation) and get their input on what matters to them while you manage this uncertain future together. Consider the power of the pause when everything feels urgent.
Ground in an Enduring Narrative
Teams can find unsettling moments paralyzing (or they can waste a ton of energy spinning in unhelpful ways).
In moments of uncertainty, two things are simultaneously true:
the ambiguity can put so many actions in question
the north star you are aiming for (e.g., kids learning, caring for our communities, getting better as an organization) is still the same.
In times of rapid change, your team needs three things: clarity on the next step in front of them, the stability of a north star and the inspiration of a silver lining. Take time to reflect together on the next week and what’s most important now. Next, create spaces to connect to the north star and remind yourself of what is still true. Lastly, find ways to connect to purpose and inspiration.
Connect
When big questions need to be addressed on a tight timeline, our impulse can be to jump in and problem solve. At the beginning of each meeting, take a moment to check in. Ask how a team member is doing, provide space for group sharing, or pause to acknowledge the weight of the situation and breathe together. Even a moment to release the stress helps people be less reactive and more connected. When the team feels in it together, they work more powerfully together to do purposeful, people-focused problem solving.
Give Grace
Extend grace to others, now more than ever. We all respond to stress differently, and we don’t know the pressures another is carrying. Perhaps a team member is worried about providing for extended family members. Or someone is navigating other stressful life dynamics and feels like it is all crashing in on them. A colleague may be wondering how to keep her team in a job when it’s not clear what their new job duties are. As a leader, give space for concerns to be shared - and encourage your teams to give extra grace to what may be under the surface for others. Ask your team: What do you need right now? How are we helping each other?
It’s important to remember that you don’t need to have every answer for your team in order for them to be held and supported. In times of uncertainty, you can shift the horizon to something doable, and find a sense of closeness and trust by staying connected.
Bit by bit, you will find a steadier ground. You can trust that clarity will come. For now, holding your team through the ambiguity is one of the greatest acts of leadership you can do.
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