Leaders face more than just complex challenges — they face constant unpredictability. Markets shift overnight.
Teams reorganize, strategies that once worked no longer deliver, and in the middle of it all, leaders are expected to stay grounded, deliver results, and guide others forward.
It’s no surprise that many leaders feel stuck.
But here’s the truth: most leaders aren’t stuck because they lack a plan. They’re stuck because the ground keeps shifting beneath the plan.
The solution isn’t tighter control — it’s a mindset shift.
Stop Solving Problems. Start Creating Possibilities.
Many of us have been trained to approach work through the lens of “problem-solving.” It’s how we learn. It’s how we rise through the ranks. We identify a problem, analyze it, and implement a solution.
But this mindset has limits, especially in volatile environments.
When conditions change rapidly, trying to fix yesterday’s problems can keep us anchored to old assumptions. What’s needed instead is a shift to a possibility-creating mindset.
Ask yourself:
- What are we trying to create — not just fix?
- What would we do if we were starting from scratch?
- What assumptions are no longer true?
This mindset opens the door to reinvention. It invites imagination and experimentation. It enables bold action, not just cautious optimization.
Don’t Just Plan — Activate Strategy
Traditional planning is effective when cause-and-effect relationships are clear. You decide, then act. Leaders set the strategy; teams execute.
But in today’s environment, that model breaks down. Disruption can render even the best plans obsolete. Re-planning every few months wastes time and creates frustration.
What’s needed now is a more dynamic approach: strategy activation.
This means:
- Anchoring your work in clear strategic intent
- Staying aligned with your purpose or “North Star”
- Adapting actions based on real-time conditions
- Making decisions through the lens of learning and responsiveness
Think of it like sailing. You may know your destination, but you’ll need to adjust course constantly as winds and currents shift. Strategic leadership today means navigating, not rigidly executing.
Focus Less on Short-Term Results. Focus More on Strategic Learning.
For results-driven leaders, this can be the hardest shift of all.
We’re wired to deliver outcomes. We track metrics, meet milestones, and feel pressure — from ourselves and others — to show quick wins. But in uncertain environments, those metrics often lag behind meaningful progress.
Instead of gripping tighter, the invitation is to pause and learn.
When you miss a target, ask:
- What are we learning?
- Are we still aligned with our strategic direction?
- Is a shift in course required, or should we hold steady?
Strategic leadership involves making thoughtful decisions, even when there is no perfect evidence. It’s not about abandoning accountability — it’s about balancing it with a deeper capacity for reflection and trust.
Build Capacity, Not Just Plans
Leadership today isn’t just about having the right answers. It’s about having the right capacity, the inner space to hold ambiguity, tension, and change without being overwhelmed by it.
Imagine a bowl of water versus the ocean. When a rock (disruption) is thrown in, the bowl splashes and spills. The ocean absorbs and adapts.
That’s the kind of presence leaders must build.
This includes:
- Tolerating uncertainty without rushing to close the gap
- Holding competing priorities without defaulting to either/or thinking
- Creating psychological safety for teams to explore, test, and learn
In short: becoming the calm in the chaos, not the control.
The Takeaway: Leadership Today Is About “AND,” Not “OR”
We don’t need to throw away everything we’ve learned. Planning still matters. Execution still matters. Expertise still matters.
But we also need to:
- Think beyond the plan
- Act without full certainty
- Create before solving
- Learn in motion
The leaders who thrive now are those who expand their toolkit — who know when to optimize, and when to imagine. Who knows when to hold steady, and when to evolve?
Want to Deepen Your Strategic Capacity?
To take these ideas further, we’ve created a bundle of free leadership resources you can download now:
- Strategic Impact Quiz — discover your current leadership mindset and how to grow
- Planner-to-Creator Journey — understand the stages of strategic leadership
- Book Waitlist — get updates on an upcoming guide to leading in uncertainty
