Executive Leadership in Uncertain Times
If you’re an executive right now and you’re feeling fried / stretched thin / running on fumes (choose your own adventure)… you’re not alone.
One minute you’re trying to finalize a strategic plan.
The next minute the political and economic climate shifts again—and your assumptions are suddenly “historical artifacts.”
Many leaders I speak with are naming the same thing: it feels like the international order is breaking down and being remade in real time. That’s not abstract. It shows up as volatility, disrupted markets, shifting alliances, and decisions that feel harder to make with confidence.
And it doesn’t just affect business.
It affects people—sleep, patience, relationships, and the low-grade stress that follows you from the boardroom to your kitchen table and back.
If you’ve been thinking, Why does everything feel so heavy right now? — it makes sense. You’re responding normally to an abnormal level of uncertainty.
You don’t have to pretend you’re sure
In volatile times, leaders often feel pressure to project certainty for their teams and stakeholders. The hidden rule becomes: If I look unsure, I’ll create anxiety.
So executives default to certainty-as-a-shield.
But your organization doesn’t need you to be an oracle. It needs you to be credible and steady.
A calm, trustworthy executive can say:
Here’s what we know.
Here’s what we don’t know yet.
Here’s what we’re watching closely.
Here’s how we’ll make decisions as things change.
That’s not weakness. That’s effective leadership in uncertainty.
What executive leadership looks like in disrupted times
When the world is volatile, organizations need leaders who can:
1) Stay grounded (even when the ground is moving)
Grounded doesn’t mean numb. It means you can notice stress without letting it drive the room.
2) Communicate clearly without overpromising
Teams can handle complexity. What they struggle with is vagueness, mixed messages, or false reassurance.
3) Lead with empathy and accountability
Empathy isn’t “soft.” It’s a performance advantage in uncertainty. People make better decisions when they feel safe enough to think.
4) Model authenticity without making the team carry you
This is the balance many executives are trying to find. You don’t need to disclose everything you’re feeling—yet pretending you feel nothing often backfires.
Why it’s harder to lead when you’re carrying it alone
Here’s the part leaders rarely say out loud:
When you have nowhere to process fear, frustration, or grief, it leaks out sideways.
It shows up as:
impatience and sharpness
reactivity in meetings
decision paralysis (or rushing decisions to relieve discomfort)
over-control or micromanaging
withdrawing and going “task-only”
This isn’t a character flaw. It’s what happens when the nervous system has too much to hold without support.
The leadership move: find a place to tell the truth
You don’t need to “figure it out” alone in your head.
One of the most strategic things you can do right now is create (or re-commit to) spaces where you can speak honestly—before you’re expected to speak publicly.
A few questions worth asking:
Who are the people you can tell the truth to—without needing to tidy it up?
Where do you have space to think out loud before you speak in?
What helps you return to your best leadership—clear, calm, and human?
Support might look like a trusted peer, a mentor, a therapist, a coach, or a small circle of leaders who can talk candidly. What matters is that it’s confidential, consistent, and real.
Because when you’ve metabolized some of what you’re carrying, you can show up differently:
more patient
more decisive
more empathic
less reactive
more anchored in your values
That’s resilient leadership. Not because nothing touches you—but because you have practices and people that help you stay steady.
A final word, executive to executive
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or emotionally tapped right now, that doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It means you’re paying attention.
And you don’t have to be certain to be a strong leader. You have to be honest, grounded, and supported.
If you’d like a confidential space to work through what you’re carrying—so you can lead with more clarity and calm in the middle of disruption—I’m happy to talk. Hit the contact button for a free consult.