We can’t make the uncertainty — or the anxiety — go away. But we can lead through it with love not fear…

When we are leading into the unknown, we operate in a context of failing — because we do not yet have the ability to implement something that we are only just beginning to master. The key is to focus on the way we lead, not the outcome.

Before leaving my post at SYPartners, I interviewed my colleagues about their experience of senior leadership teams — the teams that sit at the top of an organization. 

Leadership doesn’t belong to those who occupy any particular role! It belongs to anyone who — from our TJA definition — “influences and motivates people to achieve a shared vision and improve an organization”.

The heart of leadership is intention — you cannot lead if you have no direction in mind for yourself and others to follow. But intention can become fixed in people’s minds as expectation, a hardened belief that something will happen vs an open-minded commitment to a purpose.

Getting to the next level of performance for you, your team, or your organization almost always requires a deep learning curve.

As leaders we are going to run into moments that need bravery — where emotional or political stakes are high, there’s disagreement, and a feeling of risk for at least one person.

How to have a decision-making conversation.

How to have a planning conversation.

How to have a problem solving conversation.

How to have a vision conversation.

Wisdom from 12 leaders on how they lead when there is no certainty.