Keep Saying “Uncertain Times”… But What If That’s Not the Problem?
“Are we cutting again?”
The CFO’s voice was flat.
No anger. No panic. Just… resignation.
I was sitting in the boardroom with a leadership team I deeply respect.
These are smart, capable, forward-thinking people.
But this time?
They looked tired.
Not physically. Existentially.
Because it’s the second quarter, and uncertainty has become the air we breathe.
Markets are twitchy. Forecasts are foggy. Budgets? A moving target.
And somewhere between the layoffs, the pivots, and the contingency plans, something critical is eroding:
Trust in our ability to lead.
I don’t mean trust from others.
I mean our own.
Let’s be honest—
You’ve probably had moments this year when you questioned everything.
Should we grow now or wait it out?
Should we take the leap or play it safe?
And the worst part?
Even doing nothing feels risky now.
So, if you’re feeling hesitant, second-guessing, holding back—
You’re not alone.
But here’s what no one’s saying out loud:
Uncertainty isn’t the threat. It’s the training ground.
Because this—
This relentless ambiguity, this pressure, this instability?
It’s exactly what sharpens real leaders.
Not the kind who memorize playbooks.
The kind who write new ones.
And that’s the shift most organizations are missing.
They’re trying to survive this year using systems designed for 2019.
Planning based on predictability.
Managing based on past patterns.
Building teams for calm seas—when we’re clearly in the middle of a storm.
But here’s the inconvenient truth:
There is no “back to normal.”
There’s only forward.
And forward belongs to the leaders who are built for now.
Leaders who know how to think clearly under pressure.
Decide with precision.
And guide teams with resilience, not reactivity.
That’s not a motivational quote.
It’s neuroscience.
And it’s exactly what separates thriving cultures from burning out teams.
Because when everything is uncertain, the only real strategy is this:
Train for chaos. Perform with calm.
Not by doing more.
Not by pushing harder.
But by rewiring how you lead.
And building teams that don’t just cope—they create.
That’s what I apply daily with our company, MSP Teambuilding.
And frankly, it’s the only reason we’re innovating while others are repeating what no longer works.
Because in times like these, your people don’t need another pep talk.
They need a system.
A mindset.
A leader who gets it.
So maybe the question isn’t, “How do we wait this out?”
Maybe it’s, “Who do we become because of it?”
That moment in the boardroom?
We didn’t choose another round of cuts.
We chose to rewire our brains.
And start building something that could hold up in the storm.
I walked out of that meeting knowing this:
Uncertainty didn’t break us. It woke us up.
And maybe… that’s exactly what it’s here to do.
