Are You Leading or Falling Behind in the Age of Uncertainty?

Not so long ago - I saw a commercial for an airline that featured a nervous flyer.??This “nervous flyer” talked about how she would look for the flight attendants when the airplane would hit rough air (they no longer call it turbulence!) - to get her cue regarding how worried she should be.

Of course - the commercial highlighted flight attendants that looked supremely calm, cool, poised, gracious, and confident - thereby alleviating the anxiety of this nervous flyer - and empowering her to be more resilient - and maximize the enjoyment of her flight!

And even though these were actors - helping to sell an idea for this airline - I found the concept of how people in position to lead - respond to uncertainty and chaos - and what message their response sends to those they lead - to be highly compelling and relevant for anyone that hopes to be an effective leader.

This should challenge each of us (cause face it - we are all called to lead in some capacity) to examine who might be looking at us - or - led by us - and what message might they be receiving from us when we experience the “rough air” of running a business, married life, raising kids, etc.!!??

In a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article from 2023 - the author suggested that uncertainty and chaos are the new norms in the modern workplace (and really - contemporary life).

I mean - since 2020 - we’ve experienced a global pandemic - economic uncertainty - the threat of WW3 - massive layoffs - political turmoil - dealing with the effects of social media - non-stop news cycles - and honestly I have a feeling that 2024 might be the most chaotic year yet!!

So - if uncertainty and chaos are the new norm - what can we do about this (hey - I think through the lens of solutions - and this is a huge problem to solve - where the science of psychology can play a big role!).

Well - according to the HBR - resilience is the answer.

And while i agree - I am going to take it a step further - and declare that it’s resilience anchored to our True North (our values, purpose, mission, guiding principles, character, and TN relationships) - that is our BEST answer.

It’s the understanding of what constitutes our True North that makes a resilience strategy truly radical (when we are aligned with our True North - we are operating in a radically resilient manner - and when we get out of alignment with our True North - a resilient response should direct you back to your True North - but stronger, better, and wiser!).

This way - when we encounter uncertainty, chaos, setbacks, failure, stress, adversity, etc. - we can bring order to chaos - identifying where the opportunities for growth, learning, healing, and improving are (and I’m not talking about false bravado here - that tends to be rigid and easily exposed - but - authentic resilience - that is anchored to what is most true and meaningful - so it has roots that are 10 miles deep!).

And when we know that we are equipped to respond to hard times in such a way - we spend a lot less time avoiding challenges - staying stuck in unproductive cognitive loops - engaged in self-defeating behaviors - and/or making rough air - well - rougher!!

Instead - the people that work for/with us - our kids - our spouses - our friends - etc. - see that we are moving forward in the face of uncertainty and chaos with faith, conviction, and clarity in knowing who we are - and what direction our True North is in.

In turn - this will have a profound impact on them - as they feel more secure in the presence of your resilient leadership - and it will dramatically increase their ability to respond in kind.

But - why do I care about this (you might be asking)??

Because I know first hand - that a highly specific resilience strategy is soooo much better than a - fake it until you make it, white knuckle (just trying to force it), or - we will figure it out when we get there - approach!

And - a resilience strategy that is anchored to an awareness of what a company - or family - stands for - and is connected to what matters most to them - has a powerful effect on them - where they believe that they can overcome just about any external circumstances they encounter!

Plus - while I will admit that I may be the victim of regency bias - it feels like the stakes are higher than they’ve been at any time in my life.

I mean - we know that companies that have received resilience training far outperform their non-resilient trained counterparts (in 3 critical areas that are essential to a business’s survival).

We also know that individuals who have received resilience training - are consistently more successful in their careers (they make on average - 25% more than their peers), tend to be healthier - physically and psychologically, have stronger relationships, and experience more happiness and fulfillment.

So - there appears to be something to the HBR study that suggested resilience as the best response to an era of unprecedented uncertainty and chaos!

And I believe that the gap between the most resilient businesses - families - or individuals - amongst us (you might call them Radically Resilient : ) - and those who get swept up in negative responses/reactions to uncertainty and chaos in their environment - is going to become greater and greater.

Therefore - I feel called in this moment - to do something!

If that is working with my team to provide TNRR training for your organization - or - with your family - or - a group of leaders - then let’s do this (we are partnering with American Business Bank, Cal State Fullerton, three private businesses, and there are some HUGE collaborations we will announce coming soon - so - I’m doing my best to do our part!!).

Or - if it’s providing content and resources that I know can - and will - equip you to better respond to uncertainty, chaos, setbacks, fear, etc. - so that the people you care about - can know that you are just the person to lead them through the “rough air” in your business, marriage, family, etc. - then - I’m in!!

In light of this - we are going to put together a series of emails - that unpack the 3 pillars of TNRR - with an emphasis on providing practical insights, tools, resources, etc.!!

I also encourage you to check out the episodes of the True North Movement podcast - where the inimitable Pastor Eric Heard and I - dive into the topic of TNRR.

Finally - if you know of anyone that might benefit from this series - or this type of training - I humbly request that you share this with them ????!

In your corner,

Dr Andy Garrett

P.s. (I’m sure we all want to be one of the businesses, marriages, families, individuals, etc. - that stands out - and is able to be Radically Resilient to our True North - where we grow, improve, expand, and get better in times of uncertainty and chaos - and the more leaders we can equip to do the same - the better off we will collectively become!!).