#86: Leading When the World Feels Uncertain
How Leaders Stay Focused and Thrive Amid External Pressure
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Hey Friends,
Welcome to the 86th edition of my newsletter.
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Things have been agitated in Romania over the last couple of weeks, with the whole country divided between pro-Europeans and nationalists. And it all culminated with the Constitutional Court’s decision to invalidate the first round of the presidential elections on Friday.
I was so anxious these days that I almost forgot to enjoy my birthday. on the 2nd.
I am 39 years old now, and if it weren’t for this political thing, I would say I am the happiest I have ever been.
From a personal perspective, I have a great wife, the best friends I could think of, and my family beside me.
Professionally, I am in a role I could only dream of when I was younger.
Not to mention that I am in the best shape of my life.
And I think it’s important to not forget the good in our lives. Naturally, people are focusing on the negative aspects, so it makes sense to remind ourselves about the positive ones too.
That’s why, on my birthday, I wrote the following LinkedIn post about why I think the world is heading in the right direction.
No matter the positive, we have to face it: there are times when we can’t focus on our work or other day-to-day duties because of what happens in our society or the global context.
How should we handle this as leaders?
The Challenge of Leading Amid Chaos
In times of external pressure, like political turmoil or economic uncertainty, it can feel impossible to stay focused as a leader. Most fellow Romanians lost their ability to concentrate and plan effectively in the last couple of weeks.
But, as leaders in business, we need to make sure our teams continue to deliver value. To do that, we need to lead with clarity and focus. How can we do this?
The answer lies in cultivating “adaptive resilience,” a leadership mindset that balances steadiness with adaptability.
1. Reaffirm your purpose
In times of uncertainty, go back to the basics:
Why does this team exist? reaffirm your mission and the value you deliver
What are your core values? anchor decisions in principles that go beyond external chaos
Schedule a quick alignment meeting with your team. Use this opportunity to remind everyone of the shared goals and discuss what you can do to achieve them in this context.
For example, “Regardless of what’s happening politically, our mission to deliver digital marketing solutions to our clients remains unchanged.”
2. Focus on Controllable Factors
You might have heard about the Serenity Prayer. If not, it goes like this:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
You don’t have to be a religious person to apply this.
Remind yourself and the people in your team that wasting energy on things outside our control only adds to stress and inefficiency.
Choose to take action on things you can control (e.g., deadlines, quality, communication) and things we can influence (e.g., stakeholder expectations).
Try to ignore the things we can’t control (e.g., election outcomes, global economic trends, etc.)
3. Over-Communicate
In uncertain times, some of the team members will look to you for stability. Even if you don’t have all the answers, be in touch consistently.
Have weekly and even daily check-ins in which you acknowledge the external pressure and share updates about what’s within your sphere of influence.
“This is what we know; this is what we’re working on; here’s what to expect next.”
4. Double Down on Emotional Resilience
External chaos impacts everyone differently, so it’s essential to create a psychologically safe space for your team. Emotional resilience isn’t about ignoring feelings—it’s about processing them in a constructive way.
Offer open forums or one-on-one sessions where team members can share concerns.
Encourage practices like mindfulness or journaling to help individuals manage stress.
Get a message like this across: “It’s okay to feel distracted or anxious right now. Let’s discuss what support you need to stay on track while taking care of yourself.”
5. Break Down Goals into Smaller Milestones
Long-term plans can feel overwhelming and contribute to people’s anxiety.
Focus on shorter, actionable milestones that keep the momentum going.
If your team is delivering a product, shift the focus to some specific deliverables: “Let’s try to finalize the prototype by the end of the week.”
It’s also important to celebrate small wins to sustain morale and demonstrate progress.
Final thoughts
Leaders are human, and we are affected by external events just as much as everyone else. But we need to understand that our response to these events sets the tone for our teams.
You need to show them that while the world may be chaotic, you can remain calm, focused, and adaptive.
Don’t do that by ignoring those events, like a violin player on the sinking Titanic, but by reaffirming your purpose, focusing on controllable factors, and embracing resilience.
This way, you will not only survive the storm but continue to deliver value and ultimately help solidify a trusting environment within the team.
I’d love to hear how you navigate through times like this or if you have an example from experience of a leader who has done it successfully.
Recommendations:
This audiobook is included with the Audible subscription. If you’re a fan of crime novels and Peter Dincklage, you’ll love it too. It helped me fall asleep several times.
I finally got to watch the first season of The Penguin, and it’s even more than I had expected. If you like mobster crime shows, this is up there with the Sopranos.
12 business lessons from Leila Hormozi (apparently coming from her husband).
Well, I hope you liked this edition.
Thank you for reading, and join me in the comments section for further discussions!
Leo
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