Maggie Pearce is Impact's Global Practice Lead. In this article she discusses leading through uncertainty - and what to do when you don't have all the answers.
Leading when the future won't sit still
There is no shortage of advice on managing change: How to communicate a vision. How to create alignment. How to implement a new process. How to manage stakeholders.
Much of this advice is useful. But it can sometimes create the impression that change is primarily a technical challenge to be managed. In reality, change is also a human experience.
Why leading through uncertainty is different from managing change
I started thinking about this while creating a resource for leaders in an organisation being acquired by a larger competitor. The acquisition itself was a strategic and operational challenge. But it was also a human one. Many leaders didn't yet know what the future held for their teams - or for themselves - yet they were still expected to provide support, direction and reassurance.
It struck me that this is often the reality of leadership during change. Those who are leading through uncertainty are not standing outside uncertainty looking in. They are experiencing it too. Effective change leadership is not simply about helping other people navigate ambiguity. It's about doing so while managing your own questions, assumptions and concerns.
This isn't a new insight. The distinction between change and the human transition that accompanies it has been explored for decades. What continues to strike me, however, is how often leaders ask a simple question:
"What do I do when I don't know what to do?"
Not because they're incapable. Because they're human.
And in those moments, change models and frameworks can feel a long way from the reality of the next team meeting or conversation.
What seems to help is often surprisingly practical.
Two leadership practices that help when navigating uncertainty
The leaders who navigate uncertainty most effectively tend to pay attention to two things.
- First, themselves: They notice their emotions rather than ignoring them. They reflect on how they're showing up as leaders during change. They become curious about assumptions. They reframe setbacks as learning opportunities rather than personal failures.
- Second, they pay attention to others: They listen. They create psychological safety during periods of change and uncertainty. They communicate openly about what they know and what they don't know. They stay connected to people who may be struggling quietly on the edges of change.
None of these behaviours remove uncertainty. But they help people navigate it.
When the future won't sit still, leadership becomes less about having the right answers and more about creating the conditions for people to move forward anyway.
Leading through change starts with everyday behaviours
Recently, I put together a practical toolkit for change, a resource designed around these everyday behaviours - ten simple actions leaders can take when they're navigating uncertainty themselves while supporting others through it. Whether you're leading through an acquisition, restructuring, organisational change or wider business transformation, these behaviours can help create stability and confidence when the future feels unclear.
If that's a challenge that feels familiar, I hope you find it useful.