Embracing Uncertainty as Your Superpower

Embracing Uncertainty as Your Superpower??

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How do you become comfortable with discomfort? For many, facing the unknown can feel daunting, even paralyzing. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that embracing discomfort has not only been a necessity - it’s a gift. As a child, two things that shaped me moving around, adapting to new schools, new faces, and new environments; and spending hours a day training in the swimming pool. What I didn’t realize then was that this early introduction to change, uncertainty, and hard work would later serve as one of the greatest assets in my career.?

Now, many years later, as a leader at Arcadis, those experiences have come full circle. The ability to adapt, to thrive in the unknown, to find strength in discomfort, and to strive for more, both through success and disappointment, are at the heart of leading in today’s rapidly changing world. So, how can your uncertainty turn into opportunity??

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Learning to Adapt: The Gift of Agility??

I grew up on the move. My family relocated often, and with each new home came the challenge of making new friends, finding my place, and learning how to reinvent myself. At the time, it was difficult, but in hindsight, it was invaluable training for the ever-changing world we live in today.?

And beyond our constant moving adventures, swimming became another critical part of my personal and professional foundation. In competitive swimming, you’re never told what comes next until you finish what’s in front of you. This taught me to focus on the present while preparing for the unknown, building a natural agility that has been essential in my career - preparing me for the many uncertainties that come with guiding teams and navigating market shifts.?

Adapting quickly to new situations is an essential leadership skill. With so much change in the world around us, agility is no longer optional. Whether responding to global climate challenges or guiding a team through market shifts, the ability to pivot and adjust is key. A 2021 study from McKinsey & Company stated that businesses that exhibit organizational agility are 30% more likely to outperform their peers financially (1) . My early experiences helped me develop that agility, and it’s something I strive to cultivate every day.?

Finding Strength in Grit?

Swimming was a huge part of my life and more than just a sport to me. It’s where I learned discipline, perseverance and resilience - qualities that I carry into my professional life today. It also gave me the mental strength to push through discomfort, whether that means hours in the pool or navigating high-stakes projects with demanding clients.?

It also taught me an essential lesson in balancing individual performance with collective success. While swimming can feel like an individual pursuit, the truth is, your performance contributes to the team’s outcome. Whether it’s earning points in a relay or contributing to a team victory, the results are shared. That dynamic - the balance between individual responsibility and contributing to a team - has played a key role in how I lead today. ?

The ability to push past the immediate discomfort for long-term gain and lean into the collective power of one’s team is an attribute that has served me well, time and time again. One of my proudest achievements was in my early career days, when I was part of a team that helped transition control of the Panama Canal from the U.S. to the Panamanian government. As a young professional, I found myself negotiating with high-level officials and military leaders. It was intimidating, but I leaned into the discomfort, learned from those around me and trusted in my preparation and grit. And today, that still stands. When we don’t have all the answers, we assess the situation, lean in, learn from those around us, act and if necessary, adjust and try again.?

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Mentorship: Paying It Forward?

While learning is key, as leaders, I believe we each have a responsibility to also build up the next generation. Helping others the way I’ve been helped is a way of paying it forward, particularly when it comes to mentoring. I think back to a vivid memory of me at 23 years old, when I was sent to the US Congress to brief officials on a groundwater treatment plant project. I didn’t have all the answers, but my leadership trusted me with that responsibility. That early leap of faith, and being part of that shared success, shaped the rest of my career.?

I’ve also reflected on how my experience in competitive swimming shaped not just my work ethic, but my leadership style. I recently came across an ad that said, "Girls who play sports become women who lead." There’s some truth to that. In the world of sports, particularly for women, traits like confidence, assertiveness, and resilience are celebrated. However, those same behaviors aren’t always nurtured or praised in other environments. Sports gave me the space to grow into my confidence and find my voice - traits that now serve me well in leadership.?

Now, I make it a point to mentor young professionals, especially women, challenging them, helping them break through to their potential, and encouraging them to be confident and learn from everyone around them. This is particularly important to me when it comes to ensuring representation for woman in underrepresented industries and roles. According to a 2023 Global Gender Gap Report, 12.4% of C-Suite roles in STEM fields are held by women (2) . It's critical to create pathways for the next generation of diverse leaders. I’m especially proud of Arcadis' Mentoring and Sponsorship programs, where we open up new networks and technical as well as soft skills learning opportunities through knowledge exchanges, helping to both shape our future and help the next generation succeed. And, I learn a lot from each of these interactions along the way.?

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Embracing Discomfort in Your Leadership Journey?

There isn’t a cheat sheet to truly lean in on discomfort, but often, being the first follower can serve as an invaluable leadership lesson. Here are a few of my own.??

1. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable: True growth doesn’t happen in your comfort zone. The best leaders don’t shy away from challenges - they embrace them and are open to taking ‘educated’ risks. Not every situation will be a success, but as we heard from Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.?

1. Every experience is a learning experience: Part of our natural ‘risk averse’ nature is looking at what can go wrong and treating failures as just that. A growth mindset looks at what can be learnt from different experiences and goes beyond to look at what can be done differently. Think ‘what can I take away from this’ not ‘what I’ve lost with this’.?

1. Foster resilience in your team: Just like swimming taught me grit, every leader must help their teams develop resilience in the face of uncertainty. At the same time, it’s also about knowing to strike this in balance with letting your team know they are supported when things might not go quite as planned, and that most important is learning agility and recognizing doing nothing or being defensive will not help, When leaders embrace hard objectives, we also have to provide them space to grow into their potential. ?

1. Mentorship is essential: Don’t wait until you're at the top to pull others up. Invest in (and learn from) the next generation of leaders and ensure that diversity and inclusion are part of your strategy from the outset.?

1. Agility is key: With so much changing, and fast – AI, socio-political events, extreme weather, workforce and more - the ability to pivot, adapt, and move quickly will be the defining trait of successful organizations and moreover individuals in the coming decades.?

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Finding Your Right Puzzle Pieces: With Accountability and Growth at the Heart?

I’ve often likened life to a puzzle. Sometimes, it feels impossible to see the bigger picture, but if you start with the pieces you have (what you know), you will eventually start building up an idea of the image you’d want to bring into focus. It's not about knowing all the answers or avoiding uncertainty - it's about embracing the unknown and building a culture of resilience, mentorship, and adaptability. But growth is not something we do in isolation. We need to hold each other accountable. If you see someone stuck, not embracing change, it’s your responsibility to call it out and encourage them to push forward - just as you should expect the same from them. That’s how we truly grow: through a culture of shared accountability and mutual support.?

Trust in your abilities, never stop learning, and be willing to help others do the same. The world is changing fast, and those who succeed will be the ones who embrace discomfort and turn it into a powerful tool for growth. My challenge to you is simple: Are you ready to embrace discomfort and build your own puzzle??

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Sources:?

1. The impact of agility: How to shape your organization to compete ?
2. World Economic Forum: Global Gender Gap Report 2023 ?