Uncertainty Isn't Your Problem - Your Response Is

Uncertainty has a way of shaking us. Whether it’s a business shift, a personal challenge, or something entirely unexpected, our instinct is often to jump straight into planning. We want to control the situation, create a roadmap, and get back to a sense of stability. But what if uncertainty wasn’t a problem to solve right away??

Welcome to Beyond Your Edge, where we navigate the edge of familiarity—where uncertainty and possibility meet. We’ll explore the questions, reflections, and actionable steps that will help you break through the boundaries of your current thinking and elevate your leadership. Staying on the edge might feel safe, but it limits your influence, strategic foresight, and connection with those you lead.?

It’s time to move beyond it.

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I have a tendency to plan and anticipate when I’m faced with the unknown. I want stability, a path forward, and contingencies. But a recent experience taught me a powerful lesson.

Not long ago, my mother-in-law experienced a medical emergency that threw our family into a whirlwind of uncertainty. Each day brought something different. We didn’t know what the next phone call would reveal, whether she would recover fully, or how this would impact her independence and, by extension, our family’s life.

I tried to plan—plan for care, plan for contingencies, plan for every possible outcome. But the more I focused on planning, the more overwhelmed I became. Despite all my efforts, I couldn’t find the answers I was looking for.?

It wasn’t until I paused that I realized the problem wasn’t my inability to plan—the problem was that I wasn’t ready to plan. I was still in the learning stage, and until I fully embraced that, I was prolonging the uncertainty.

Uncertainty has a way of unsettling even the most prepared among us. When we face the unknown—whether it’s a sudden shift in business, an unexpected personal challenge, or something that turns our plans upside down—our instinct is often to jump straight into action. We want to regain control, start planning, and create order out of chaos.

But uncertainty isn’t our problem, it’s our response to it.

So, how can we respond to uncertainty in a way that empowers us rather than traps us?

Through my experience, I learned that the key to navigating uncertainty is not in immediately finding a solution but in shifting how we approach the situation. There are four ways to respond that not only ease the pressure but also help us grow through the uncertainty:?

1. Ground Yourself

In moments of uncertainty, it’s easy to lose sight of yourself. I spent so much time trying to manage the situation that I forgot to check in with myself. It wasn’t until I stopped to reflect on my own values and strengths that I began to feel more grounded.

Reconnection made all the difference. I realized that before I could make any decisions, I had to return to my foundation—my identity as someone who thrives on resilience and adaptability. Only then was I able to stop reacting out of fear and start responding with intention.

The same principle applies in business. When your company faces unexpected shifts or when a market disruption throws your plans off course, it’s tempting to react. But before making decisions, pause and get back to your core.

Ask yourself:?

• What are the guiding values of my leadership?

• What past experiences can I draw upon to help in this situation?

Grounding yourself is the first step in navigating the unknown effectively.

Reflection tip: Take five minutes today to reflect on your core values. How are they guiding your leadership right now??

2. See Uncertainty as an Opportunity

Once I grounded myself, I started to see the situation differently. Every day that I walked into something new with my mother-in-law, I realized it wasn’t just a challenge—it was an opportunity to learn. I wasn’t going to be able to control what happened next, but I could open myself up to what the experience was teaching me.

This shift in mindset—from needing to control the outcome to learning from the experience—was transformative. In business, we often see uncertainty as a threat that needs to be managed. But uncertainty forces us to question the status quo and, if we’re willing, to embrace it as a chance to learn rather than something to fix.

Ask yourself:

• What is this moment of uncertainty trying to show me?

• What opportunities are hidden within this challenge?

Whether it’s a shift in strategy, the chance to innovate, or simply a new perspective, uncertainty can be a powerful catalyst for growth—if we allow it to be.

Reflection tip: Look at a current business challenge through the lens of learning instead of control. What opportunities might emerge if you remain open to them?

3. Value Resilience Over Certainty

One of the hardest lessons I learned was that certainty is an illusion. I spent so much time trying to create a sense of order and predictability around my mother-in-law’s situation. But no matter how hard I tried; the future remained unclear. What I discovered was that resilience—not certainty—was the key to moving forward.

Resilience is the ability to stay grounded and adaptable, even when you don’t have all the answers. It’s about trusting that no matter what comes, you have the strength to face it and grow through it.

For me, that meant accepting that I couldn’t predict every outcome for my mother-in-law. What I could do was handle each day with an open heart, an open mind, and the resilience to adapt as needed.

The leaders who thrive through uncertainty are the ones who recognize that resilience, not certainty, is their greatest asset. It is what allows you to stay the course, even when plans fall apart.

Ask yourself:

• How can I become more resilient in this moment. What does resilience feel like to me??

• How can I stay flexible and open to what’s next, rather than clinging to what was?

Resilience isn’t about bouncing back—it’s about moving forward, stronger than before.?

Reflection tip: Identify a situation where your plan fell apart. How did resilience help you move forward? What can you do today to build more resilience for future challenges?

4. Don’t Plan Before You Learn

Finally, the most important lesson I learned through this experience was to resist the urge to plan too soon. Planning without first understanding the situation only prolongs the effects of uncertainty. Without learning, your plan will lack the clarity and strength it needs to succeed.

In my case, I was trying to plan for outcomes that hadn’t even unfolded yet. I needed to stop, observe, and reflect before I could take action. The same is true in business. When faced with a major shift or unknown challenge, don’t rush into planning.

Ask yourself:

• What do I still need to learn?

• What insights can I gather before moving forward?

Only after you’ve learned from the uncertainty can you create a plan that is thoughtful, strategic, and adaptable.

Reflection tip: ?Consider a current challenge you are planning around. Are you missing any insights that could inform your next steps? Take time to pause and gather what you need to learn before moving into action.

Move Beyond Uncertainty

Uncertainty doesn’t have to paralyze us. Whether in life or business, moving beyond uncertainty is about staying open to learning, trusting in your resilience, and grounding yourself in who you are. Each time we face the unknown, it’s an opportunity to deepen our understanding, grow stronger, and adapt to new possibilities.

When you stop trying to plan your way through uncertainty and instead embrace it as a learning phase, you set yourself up for a more thoughtful, effective path forward. Leaders who are able to see beyond the immediate problem and look for opportunities often find ways to innovate that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

This week, challenge yourself to embrace uncertainty with curiosity.?

Stop planning. Start learning. The unknown might hold your greatest growth.

What will you discover about yourself and your leadership by remaining open to the unknown?

Keep growing.

Amy

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Go beyond reading about your response to uncertainty.

Download the CARE Future-Focused Assessment and learn about the strategic moves you can take today to stop planning and start learning.?

CARE is the measurement of a leader: Curiosity. Adaptability. Resilience. Empathy.

You can also learn more by visiting my website: Growth Minded Leadership