This year so far has made one thing clear: we are more uncertain than ever of what the future holds. Geographically, socially, politically, environmentally – signs are everywhere of crisis and discord.  Organisations are also in flux, with flatter structures, global agile teams, remote and hybrid working environments, all added challenges for leaders and the nuances of how they lead. Senior teams I work with are struggling with the lack of ‘connectedness’ in direction, strategy and what good looks like amid constant change.  As a coach, I believe every crisis presents opportunities and nowhere is this more impactful than with our leaders leading by example. 

This includes leading themselves, leading in relationships and leading groups, teams and organisations. All underpinned with the realisation that leaders cannot ask their teams to adapt and create if they are too busy to stop and learn new things themselves.  Individual awareness and shifting mindsets trigger collective change.  This can be transformational but is not straightforward – how do leaders remain human and admit to uncertainty, how do leaders show vulnerability while also leading with insight and courage.

A prerequisite is that there is an embedded culture to do this, not always a given, and this is where coaching is impactful: meeting leaders where they are at, so they can lead teams where they are at, by asking the right questions and actively listening to what is being shared.  Jim Collins in his book Good to Great suggests senior leaders need to be asking the questions and not have the answers, and it is in this uncertainty that genuine trust is built. By accepting the discomfort that comes with uncertainly, while staying focused on the end goal, both leaders and their teams develop psychological flexibility and resilience. This provides a map that widens the perspective from individual issues to systemic challenges, that makes uncertainty less daunting and uncovers opportunities.

So, when reviewing the strategy for this turbulent year ahead, ask the questions that you don’t have answers to, capturing the best parts of what worked previously – and disregard what is not working for individuals and your team.