A hugely influential mentor and coach once said to me that any sense of certainty, in coaching or in business, is an illusion.  This stayed with me over my career as I led global teams in various sectors, working with and for my clients.   Now as a coach, no matter what model I use, I rarely arrive back at the same place in the coaching process with my clients. There is a level of complexity and the unknown that is intrinsic and essential to the space we hold for our clients.

A key trigger for transformational change when working with leaders and leadership teams, is when they embrace the unknown and surrender the ideology of being the ‘expert’ and the sole source of the solution to the challenges their organization and teams face.  The key leadership presence traits of humility, wisdom and intentionality are reflected in how they show up as a leader, as a contributor and as someone who inspires others to be part of the solution.

A relevant book that covers the powerful impact of uncertainty in the development of leadership skills is Dare to Lead (Brené Brown) – as I re-read this book, I am struct by its simple key messages for leadership in challenging times.