In a world brimming with disruption—from political unrest and trade wars to the rapid pace of AI—leaders have a vital challenge: how to steer their organizations through turbulence. The solution isn’t to try to command the storm but to figure out how to sail through it.
Here are 10 evidence-based tactics from MIT Sloan Management Review authors to assist leaders in adjusting, remaining resilient, and motivating their teams in uncertain times.
1. Develop Resilience for Surprises
- Anticipate unexpected events—particularly political ones—by:
- Diversifying your supply chain.
- Creating financial cushions (e.g., cash reserves).
- Designing modular operations to decouple shocks.
Example: IKEA localized production in Russia following 2014, which facilitated its 2022 departure more easily than rivals who remained globally interconnected.
2. Train Teams Not to Freeze
- Uncertainty paralyzes. Fight this by:
- Reframing decisions as experiments.
- Shifting team language from risk/gambling to scientific hypothesis.
- Encouraging forward motion even when outcomes are uncertain.
3. Toss Out the Crystal Ball
- Ditch the attempt to predict the future—build your adaptability instead.
- Agile companies don’t know the future; they’re just super good at changing quickly.
- Spend time sensing changes and reacting fast, not rigid forecasting.
4. Expect to Be Uncomfortable
- Great leaders are comfortable with discomfort.
- Recognize uncertainty is the norm.
- Own what you don’t know and accept that not everything can be controlled.
5. Prioritize Medium-Term Goals
- Make teams feel stable by creating 90-day goals.
- Long enough to create meaning.
- Short enough to shift when the landscape does.
Tip: Ask innovative questions like “What new profits might substitute decreasing ones?” to drive innovation.
6. Tailor the Calm
- Individuals think about uncertainty in various ways. Leaders need to:
- Utilize individualized consideration.
- Provide personalized guidance.
- Establish trust by listening to what every team member needs most.
7. Lead With “We” and “Us”
- Unite with language that includes everyone.
- Speak often with collective pronouns.
- Remind everyone that they’re going through uncertainty together.
8. Say Something Before Silence Does
- Prevent communication gaps.
- Share real-time updates, even if they’re imperfect.
- Urge direct managers to talk frequently and genuinely with their teams.
Remember: Without information, employees will fill in the blanks—usually incorrectly.
9. Build Sensemaking Across All Levels
Turn chaos into sense by:
- Empowering teams to query, recognize patterns, and experiment with assumptions.
- Educating all people, not only top managers, on interpreting complexity and uncertainty.
Essential mindset shift: Shift “I get it” to “Let’s examine what this could mean.”
10. Put Crisis First — Overlook the Noise
In a crisis state, the utmost priority usually reveals itself.
- Scoop out the noise and do only the most important.
- Leverage the clarity of crisis to mobilize teams and move with speed and accuracy.
First-order decision: Defuse the immediate crisis.
Second-order decisions: Decide on the most effective strategies to solve it.
Final Thought:
Leading in chaos isn’t about seeing the future—it’s about getting agile, clear, and human. By applying these strategies, you can empower your organization, your team, and yourself with conviction—even when the world seems to be spinning out of control.
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