Embracing the Benefits of Uncertainty

Search through the internet today, you will find a great number of articles on "Leadership and Uncertainty". It's quite natural though. Unprecedented situations demands a leader's guidance, it requires leaders who can be poise and calm under crisis and make sure to bring the best of their team. In this article, we are going to explore the benefits of uncertainty. Yes! So, let's start with how uncertainty looks like. I have attended an interview recently and completed all the levels. I felt confident while taking up the interview and answered most of the questions. HR department told me that it will take 3 days for them to calibrate and announce the results. As someone who's waiting for job offer, these three days i have experienced the world of uncertainty. Now going back to the interview day, if i am informed that i did not get selected, it hurts. but still i may be able to look for other options, other plans and find alternates. My stress level would have been way lesser than how i felt in those three days. Here's why I give you this simple illustration, most people feel less stress with bad news than without certainty. Because with bad news, I can now go do something about it. I can now make a plan. I can now look at the other alternatives. Uncertainty just keeps us hanging. Many people are feeling insecure not because of crisis or bad news, well! bad news hurts. but they don't know what's going to happen. Not one person in the world right now can tell you when COVID-19 disappears from the world and no organization can estimate the loss, because its still going on and they never know when its going to get over. Well! thinking about uncertainty, i would like to discuss about how to adapt and even benefit from the uncertainty. I will be glad if this article may help you even a little bit on proceeding with these suspended times. Let's explore the three benefits of uncertainty.

1. It takes you out of Automatic

We love being Automatic, isn't it? Actually, its not bad. Most of us love being in comfort, we call it a perfect day when everything goes as planned. Automatic is full of assumptions, enjoys comfort and embraces certainty. When you are automatic its quiet natural that we lack intuition, not being intentional since we just want that day to be as normal as ever, and also we don't find options to maximize. But Crisis is a total opposite of being normal. Its a wake up call, and it will wake you up out of automatic. I would like to highlight Swiggy (food delivery app). They get a lot of orders in this pandemic and they have the option to remain normal and of course they are getting more revenue since most of us don't go out. But they do maximize and very intentional of making profit out of the opportunities. So, they introduced delivering other stuffs along with food. Vegetables, fruits, dairy products name it, they will deliver everything at your door step. Now, take this moment and think. Have you came out of Automatic during this pandemic? Started workouts, online courses and YouTube channels. here we are! uncertainty made us do things intentionally which we would have never thought about doing, only because we love being automatic. 

2. Leadership Opportunities

It's Leadership time. Right now! Needless to say that there is no better time to lead and also to be led. People want it and leaders love it. We also have to keep this in mind that people do not want leaders to be the heroes rather they want them to be real at this time. Being a leader it is OK to be uncertain about tomorrow, but does the people still have the faith in you? Did you build trust among the team? Are you approachable and transparent? We need real ones. Not heroes! Those who can show calmness in crisis, serenity in stress, poise under pressure and who can prepare today to avoid repair tomorrow. Leaders who takes care of people, will know to take care of the clients. At this time, as a leader ask these questions to yourself. Did i lead well today? Did i live well today? That's not all of it to be a leader but without this basic attribute in you, i don't think you can proceed anywhere.

3. Staying Humble & Creative

What got us to this point in life may not take us to our desired expectations. Whatever good work you have done before, its your past and it does not mean that would make you go further in these uncertain times. Do you know the power of coffee beans in perfume store? It's used to distinguish the fragrance between one perfume and another. You smell the coffee bean and you go through the process of unlearning due to it's strong fragrance, you can now start testing perfumes again. By staying humble and ready to learn new things helps you to enjoy numerous fragrances that's come along in your life, Unlearning is not forgetting, it happens consciously. Creativity & Productivity gets enhanced when you learn to let things go for good.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less - Rick Warren

Our past successes, wealth, education, or whatever else we find security in, can cause us to become self-reliant or proud. Though its human nature to take pride of our achievements, when in times of uncertainty it actually made us feel humble and ready to learn things new and make those half-time adjustments.

The benefits are definitely limited to these listed above. You have plenty to look out for! I would like to see your thoughts on how uncertainty is having a positive impact on you? what did you learn out of it? Thank you for reading!