How Great Leaders Navigate Uncertainty and Inspire Teams

Key Takeaways

• Great leaders name tension, normalize uncertainty and turn ambiguity into a space for growth.
• Small moments shape big changes. The words you choose and how you show up every day build trust and resilience.
• When people see their impact, they’re more likely to lead with purpose and agency. Coach your teams to find meaning in navigating change. 

Times of change can surface core dilemmas: Am I safe? Do I know what to do? Can I make a difference? As leaders, how we respond to these situations shapes our team’s ability to engage, adapt and thrive.

At this year’s Leadership Connect Recharge, an event for talent leaders to network and learn from peers and industry experts, Yale Senior Lecturer in organizational behavior Dr. Heidi Brooks reminded us that tension isn’t the enemy in leadership — rather, it’s when we don’t acknowledge and respond to tensions that they have the chance to grow.

I’ve been in talent acquisition for about seven years (including my current role as Head of Talent Acquisition at Yale), and it’s amazing how consistent that theme has been. Our employee value proposition at Yale is “... around every corner.” It refers to all the rewarding opportunities and unique experiences the university has to offer. However, you often must turn that corner into the unknown to find them.

Here are my takeaways from conversations with peers and thought leaders at Recharge that will shape how I lead through the uncertainty of change.

Indeed’s Leadership Connect Recharge is a retreat for recognized executive decision-makers to network with peers and industry experts and share insights about the evolving talent landscape. Want to shape the future of work with fellow bold leaders? Learn more about joining the Leadership Connect community.

1. Name the tension.

Navigating uncertainty can make people feel unsafe, which often shows up as silence or withdrawal. Dr. Brooks invited us to think about it in terms of four moves: notice, name, nudge and nurture.

• Notice fear in the room.
• Name it. Normalize it. Let people know their concerns are valid and shared, that even senior leaders may feel uncertain.
• Nudge your people to stretch and adapt. Gently guide with curiosity: Is it true danger, or are we simply in a new and ambiguous space?
• Nurture. Frame change as a novel learning opportunity and model its pursuit.

We often mistake ambiguity for danger, but if we monitor and manage it well, it can be a space for growth.

2. Align action with values.

Leading with clarity and courage is essential in times of ambiguity, when possibilities feel endless but direction is unclear. That boldness comes from a firm conviction in our values and purpose.

As an organizational leader, Dr. Brooks focuses on building courageous communities — those who are willing to ask and do what needs to be done, even when it isn’t convenient. When leading through turmoil, we must ask ourselves: What do we care about so much that we're willing to act?

To answer this question, we must focus on the values that reflect who we are, both as an organization and as leaders. Dr. Brooks encourages people to consider how others are “feeling the impact of your presence and how you lead from your values.” This approach can heighten your team’s sense of purpose and engagement, positively influencing work wellbeing and productivity.

Janet Gipson (second from left) engaged in thoughtful discussion with other Leadership Connect members and Indeed senior leadership, including Chief Economist Svenja Gudell (third from left); SVP of Operations and Client Success Lisa Ramirez (fourth from left); and Chief People and Sustainability Officer LaFawn Davis (second from right).

3. Match your leadership to the moment.

Sometimes small, consistent gestures matter more than sweeping change. Simple “micro-leadership” moments — for example, a kind word even when you’re busy or a vulnerable share during a team meeting — build trust and shape how change is received. 

Dr. Brooks focuses on everyday leadership, which is about how we impact one another’s lives. Much of it occurs through communication — what you say and how you say it.

“Strategic decisions are important, but so is the experience people have at work every day,” Dr. Brooks said. “It shapes how we feel — whether we stay or leave, feel energized or drained.” Everyday leadership is what makes your people and culture resilient in times of transition.

“There’s no finish line; we’re always going to deal with change.”

— Janet Gipson, Yale Head of Talent Acquisition

4. Empower your workers by showing what’s possible.

In unpredictable times, emergent leadership can be the best strategy. This means allowing ​​leaders to rise from within the organization over time based on who is making decisions and achieving results. In other words, get people to recognize that we’re all learning as we go. While we can't always solve the problem in front of us, we can honor that we’re growing from navigating it.

The reward of emergent practice is increasing your people’s sense of agency. That doesn’t mean relinquishing control — it’s about acknowledging the influence they already have. As leaders, this means enhancing our coaching skills to avoid delegating and help co-create solutions.

At Recharge, Dr. Heidi Brooks said that everyday leadership is what makes your people and culture resilient in times of transition.

I like to coach my team that there’s no finish line; we’re always going to deal with change. To establish longevity, you need to figure out how to “manage your desk” in the same way you control clutter on a physical desk. In this case, keep your workflow, responsibilities and mindset balanced and in check.

Invite people at all levels to see how their actions make a difference. Leadership doesn’t happen in isolation. It lives in interpersonal dynamics, which is good news: We don’t have to carry it alone. 

Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity

The changes we’re seeing today can’t be solved just with workplace seminars or trainings. It’s an everyday practice. As leaders, we can invite people into the room differently and empower them to navigate the turbulence of change. 

Dr. Brooks wrapped up her session with a quote from French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”

Something is happening. Let’s lead like it. 

Keep up with Janet at her website, Absoulutely Balanced, where she offers empowerment-based coaching.

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See what happened at other Leadership Connect events:

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