No map, no problem: leading through uncertainty (Part 1)

There's something deeply human about craving certainty. 

It's a deeply rooted social desire that preserves energy and sustains survival. 

And even though the likelihood of getting monstered by a woolly mammoth is known to be low these days, we still revert to survival thinking. 

How often, in the thick of uncertainty, does someone share any plan, and suddenly it becomes the plan? It's as if ambiguity has politely stepped aside, and we all breathe a little easier.

Of course we do. When the future feels like anything could happen, even the illusion of control feels like safety. A gantt chart, a roadmap, a definitive answer - it doesn’t matter how flimsy it is. If it looks like certainty, it cuts through the noise and bypasses our bu!!sh*t filters. We’re wired to seek relief.

But... Ambiguity doesn’t respond to plans. It’s not waiting for our confidence. It’s not linear. It’s not fair. And it’s certainly not impressed by bullet points. It's a rampant half crazed pixie that runs screaming through our teams, our plans and our lives on the daily.

So how do we stay in it? Without losing our bottle. 

How can we lead when we don’t know what’s coming?

It starts with recognising that ambiguity isn’t the enemy. Giving that mischievous pixie a nice cup of green tea laced with a hefty dose of valium while it succumbs to a lie down and a sensible conversation.

Ambiguity is a space. A stretch of road we walk without signs, where being with people matters more than guiding them to a fixed destination.

Staying in ambiguity means resisting the rush to narrow things down too soon. It means naming what we know and what we don’t. It means holding space for multiple possible outcomes, without pretending they’re all equally comfortable. And it means allowing the discomfort to exist without demanding it resolve itself right now.

You're already better at leading through uncertainty than you give yourself credit.

That’s the honest truth.
You are brilliant. And you’ve got more experience than you give yourself credit for.

- We do it when we care for ageing parents, navigating shifting needs with no script, just love, coordination, and blurry timelines.

- We do it when we start a new role, stepping into unfamiliar dynamics and unwritten rules, unsure of how it’ll unfold - but showing up anyway.

- We do it when we raise our kids, knowing we can’t control who they’ll become, only guide and support them as best we can.

- We do it when we sit beside a friend in pain, not fixing, just staying close in the not-knowing.

All of these are examples of uncertainty, ambiguity and challenge. No master plan, no certainty - just responsiveness, emotional presence, and courage.

So when ambiguity shows up at work, maybe we’re not as underprepared as we think.

Maybe leadership, right now, is less about being the one with the answer - and more about being the one who doesn’t flinch when the answers are still forming.

You got this. You always have.

If you’re leading through fog right now, you’re not alone. If you want to talk it out, I’m just an email away.