Uncertain Times
Divya Ramachandran
I Help Startups Find Clarity to Do Hard Things | Leadership & Executive Coach | Former Product & Design Leader
One of the hardest things about leadership is dealing with uncertainty.? Even when the uncertainty only impacts ourselves, it’s stressful.? This stress is amplified when how we deal with the uncertainty impacts our teams, our companies, our families and maybe even our greater community.??
When we face gaps in our understanding or knowing, we feel uncomfortable, and so our imagination fills in the blanks.? The problem is, our imagination goes down the worst-case scenario path - this cognitive distortion is known as catastrophizing. It can turn our discomfort into full-blown anxiety.?
A few days ago, my son started to feel some big feelings after catastrophizing a potential scenario that was based only partially on fact.? I found myself comforting him by quoting the Leslie character in the final season of Ted Lasso, who surprises himself with his own wisdom: “Find out before you flip out.”
When we start catastrophizing, our thoughts are in a future state that has not actually happened yet.? In some ways, it’s easier to be in a full-on “flip out” state than to accept the discomfort of not knowing.? When we are in “flip out” we can vent our big feelings out on our friends and colleagues.? When we are in “flip out” we can justify inaction.? We can decide not to quit a stressful job because we’re certain there’s no way we can get another job.? We can decide not to change our strategic direction because we are sure we will regret the decision.? We can stay safely in our comfort zone while we complain.?
The harder but more conscious state is “find out.” Finding the mental clarity to separate what we know to be true and what we don’t know yet is key.? We understand the difference between our thoughts and the facts, and we try to discover more facts.? We take steps with curiosity and openness about what might come next.? We acknowledge that we are uncomfortable in the not-knowing, and accept that the discomfort might linger for a while before it passes.
There might still be a reason to flip out - but it might as well be after you’re sure there’s no other option.?
Find out before you flip out.
If you’re interested in learning how you can lead yourself and your team through uncertainty, let’s connect.?
Warm Regards,
Divya