Episode 25: Leading Through Uncertainty | 12MinuteLeadership

If there’s one skill that defines modern leadership, it’s the ability to lead through uncertainty. Whether it’s navigating normal organizational change, disruptions in your market, or unexpected global events, like COVID — uncertainty has become something leaders are having to navigate like never before.  And yet, some leaders manage to not just survive uncertain times — they actually help their people thrive through them

In this episode, I talk about what uncertainty looks like for leaders today and the qualities of leaders who navigate through uncertainty well — so you can strengthen these same qualities in yourself. 
I start by naming today’s pressure points—economic volatility, AI and automation, evolving workforce norms, organizational transitions, and global forces—and why teams instinctively crave stability. From there, we unpack two common traps: the silent leader who waits for perfect information and the oversharing leader who exports anxiety. You’ll get simple scripts to communicate what’s known, what’s unknown, and when you’ll update again, plus a framing that pairs truth with direction so your people stay grounded and focused.

Then I zoom in on emotional steadiness, the subtle signal that shapes how your team interprets turbulence. You’ll learn quick regulation practices that keep urgency from becoming alarming, and you’ll see how curiosity and short feedback loops make learning the new stability. We also explore empathy without lowering the bar—how to check in meaningfully, protect dignity, and connect effort to impact. Finally, I return to purpose as the durable anchor: a clear why that guides and sustains hope when the path keeps changing.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with another leader navigating uncertainty right now. Also, be sure to subscribe to this podcast so you never miss an episode. You can also pick up my book, Lead Anyone, on Amazon. Then go to my website to check out ways that we can support your leadership goals-from executive retreats to customized training and coaching, my team of experts will help you level up your leadership and accelerate your results. Go to www.eliseboggs.com for more info. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker (00:03):
Welcome to the 12-Minute Leadership Podcast,
where in 12 minutes or less,I'll share small things that you
can put into immediate practicethat will make a big difference
in your leadershipeffectiveness.
I'm your host, Elise BoggsMorales, leadership professor,
consultant, and coach.
For the last 17 years, I havehelped thousands of leaders

(00:25):
level up their influence andachieve remarkable results.
If you want to treat compliancefor true commitment and create
your dream team, you are in theright place.
Get ready for a quick hit ofpractical wisdom to increase
your team's engagement, inspiretop performance, and retain your
best talent.
Ready to level up yourinfluence and get better

(00:46):
results?
12 minutes starts now.
Hi everyone, Elise here.
Welcome to episode 25.
If there's one skill thatdefines modern leadership, it's

this (01:01):
the ability to lead through uncertainty.
Whether it's navigating normalorganizational change,
disruptions in your market, orunexpected global events like
COVID, uncertainty has becomesomething leaders are having to
navigate like never before.
And yet, some leaders manage tonot just survive uncertain
times, they actually help theirpeople thrive through them.

(01:24):
I've watched this happenfirsthand with many of my
clients over the last coupleyears.
On this episode, we'll talkabout what uncertainty looks
like for leaders today and thequalities of leaders who
navigate through uncertaintywell, so that you can strengthen
these same qualities inyourself.
So, first, let's talk aboutwhat uncertainty looks like

(01:46):
today in 2025.
We are living in a time whereuncertainty is no longer an
occasional challenge, it's theenvironment we lead in every
day.
And as leaders, we arenavigating uncertainty in
several different areas.
One, economic fluctuations,their shifting markets,
inflation, and budgetconstraints, technology, AI,

(02:09):
automation, and digitaltransformation changing entire
industries, cultural change,evolving workforce expectations
around flexibility, working inthe office, working out of the
office, organizationaltransitions such as mergers,
leadership changes, orrestructuring, and societal and
global uncertainty from thepublic health crisis of COVID to

(02:33):
political shifts that impactfunding, policy, and different
aspects of business.
So environments like these,teams naturally crave stability.
I think at just a human level,we crave stability.
But as leaders, we can't alwaysprovide that certainty.
But what we can provide to thebest of our ability is clarity,

(02:56):
connection, and a sense of calm.
And I'm going to break thesedown for us.
Because our goal as leadersisn't to eliminate uncertainty.
That's not something we canpromise or do, but we can lead
well within it.
And now I'm going to break downsome of the qualities of
leaders who navigate uncertaintywell.

(03:17):
So, five to be exact, that willhelp you as a leader stay
centered and keep others thatyou're leading grounded.
First is clarity in the chaos.
So in times of uncertainty,communication becomes more
critical and more delicate.
Many leaders go to extremes,either over-silence or

(03:40):
over-sharing.
And each can have a distinctand often damaging impact on
teams.
So I'll talk about the silentleader first.
The silent leader doesn't sayanything.
Many leaders stay silentbecause they don't yet have the
answers.
They fear being wrong or thinkit's better to wait until things
are clear.
The intention is often good.

(04:02):
They want to protect their teamfrom confusion, but the absence
of communication actuallycreates more confusion.
Why?
Because anxiety fills the gap.
When leaders don't communicate,people make up their own
stories.
In the absence of information,rumor and fear take root.
Also, trust erodes.

(04:24):
Team members may assume leadersare hiding something, or worse,
that they don't care.
Also, momentum stalls.
Without direction oracknowledgement, teams hesitate
to act, and uncertainty turnsinto paralysis.
When leaders go silent inuncertainty, the message people
hear isn't we're waiting forclarity, it's you're on your

(04:47):
own.
And that's when fear starts tolead instead.
The good news is that you don'tneed to have all the answers to
communicate something.
Just communicate the things youdo know with honesty and
intention.
So you could say somethinglike, I don't have all the
information yet, but here's whatI do know, and here's when I'll
update you again.

(05:07):
This builds trust andpsychological safety, even when
the picture isn't complete.
On the opposite side of thespectrum is the oversharing
leader who says too much.
Some of us cope withuncertainty by processing out
loud, sharing every concern,fear, and internal debate with
our teams, thinking thattransparency equals trust.

(05:29):
But raw transparency withoutemotional filtering can create
unnecessary stress.
Why?
Because it can cause thingslike emotional contagion.
Teams mirror their leader'sstate.
So when a leader's fear orfrustration spills out
unchecked, it amplifies anxiety.
There can also be a loss ofconfidence.

(05:51):
When leaders express too muchdoubt or panic, people lose the
sense of stability they need tostay focused.
And finally, there can beblurred boundaries.
Oversharing can shift theemotional burden onto the team,
making them feel responsible formanaging the leader's stress.
So, leaders who overshare theirfears create what I call

(06:14):
emotional whiplash.
People don't know if theyshould follow, comfort, or
panic.
And authenticity doesn't meansaying everything you feel, it
means saying what's both helpfuland true.
Great leaders share enough tobe real, but not so much that it
destabilizes others.
So you could say somethinglike, I know this is a tough

(06:35):
season and there are unknowns.
I feel that too.
But here's what we can focus onright now.
That combination of truth plusdirection keeps teams grounded
and hopeful.
So how can you avoid going tothese extremes and be a more
balanced communicator to createclarity in times of uncertainty?

(06:56):
In uncertain times, peopledon't need all the answers.
They need assurance thatthey're not facing the unknown
alone.
So they need to know that yousee what they see, you're being
honest about what's real, you'llkeep communicating as things
evolve, and you're steady enoughto navigate what's next.
That blend of honesty, empathy,and presence builds what's

(07:19):
called anchoring leadership,which is the ability to help
people feel grounded even whenthe ground is shifting.
Another quality of leaders whonavigate uncertainty well is
emotional steadiness.
When everything feelsuncertain, people look to their
leaders for emotional cues, kindof how passengers look to the

(07:39):
flight attendant's reaction toturbulence on a plane.
This doesn't mean pretendingeverything's fine, it means
regulating your own emotions sothat you can lead with calm
presence.
As one leader shared with me,when I stay steady, my team
doesn't panic, even when thesituation calls for urgency.
Leaders who remain groundedmodel resilience.

(08:01):
Their calm becomes contagious.
A third quality of leaders whonavigate uncertainty well is
adaptability and learning.
Uncertainty rewards leaders whostay curious, not rigid.
Adaptable leaders are open tofeedback, new ideas, and course
corrections.
In last week's episode, Imentioned Nadella transforming

(08:22):
Microsoft's culture.
He is a great example of thiswhen he championed a
learn-it-all mindset instead ofa know-it-all one.
In times of change, learning isthe new stability.
A fourth quality of leaders whonavigate uncertainty well is
empathy and connection.
Uncertainty affects peopledifferently.

(08:43):
Some withdraw, some overwork,some worry silently.
Inspirational leadersunderstand this and make
maintaining an emotionalconnection a priority.
They check in, they listen, andremind people that their worth
isn't tied to outcomes alone.
Empathy doesn't mean loweringexpectations.
It means leading with humanitywhile pursuing results.

(09:08):
There's a quote attributed toMaya Angelou that says, People
may forget what you said, butthey will never forget how you
made them feel.
And finally, the fifth qualityis having a purpose-driven
focus.
Leaders who thrive inuncertainty come back to
purpose.
When everything else feelsunpredictable, purpose becomes

(09:30):
your anchor.
It gives context to the chaos.
It reminds people why theirwork matters and what doesn't
change, even when everythingelse does.
As Victor Frankel said, thosewho have a why to live can bear
almost anyhow.
And in closing, uncertaintywill always be a part of

(09:50):
leadership, but it doesn't haveto define it.
The leaders we remember mostaren't the ones who had perfect
plans.
They're the ones who led withcourage, clarity, and compassion
when no one knew what wouldhappen next.
So, here's your reflectionquestion for this week.
Where in your leadership do youneed to bring more clarity,

(10:10):
steadiness, or connection in atime of uncertainty?
And one more, what would itlook like to lead with calm
confidence, even when you don'thave all the answers?
Remember, your presence is morepowerful than your plan.
I hope you enjoyed today'sepisode.
If this episode encouraged you,share it with another leader

(10:32):
navigating uncertainty rightnow.
I'll see you next time.
Like what you heard on today'sepisode and want to go deeper?
Subscribe to this podcast soyou never miss an episode.
You can also pick up my book,Lead Anyone, on Amazon.
Then go to my website to checkout ways that we can support

(10:54):
your leadership goals.
From executive retreats tocustomized training and
coaching, my team of expertswill help you level up your
leadership and accelerate yourresults.
Go to www.eliseboggs.com formore info.