Leading Through Turbulent Times: 5 Things Every CEO Can Focus On
December 10, 2025 – Volatility has a way of stripping leadership down to its essentials, revealing what actually holds a company steady when the ground shifts. For CEOs, the goal in those moments isn’t to predict every turn, but to create the focus, trust, and flexibility that let teams keep moving through it. Major disruptions don’t arrive politely or on schedule—they enter into real life, interrupting routines and instantly reshaping what matters. In those moments, leadership becomes less about strategy decks and more about steadiness, perspective, and the ability to keep people grounded when everything feels uncertain.
“I was getting ready to go to work when I first learned of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks,” recalls Roy Notowitz, CEO Noto Group. “Just 12 hours earlier, I had returned from my honeymoon, feeling recharged and excited to dive back into building my business. But after witnessing the horror unfold, work suddenly seemed trivial and unimportant. Strong feelings of patriotism, resolve, and unity swept the nation in an instant. In the days and months that followed, lives were upended, and, as you would expect, hiring came to a screeching halt. I remember spending what felt like an eternity waiting for the market, and our sense of normalcy, to return.”
That was just one of many seismic shifts Mr. Notowitz lived and worked through: the dot-com bubble bursting, the housing market collapse, COVID-19, the post-pandemic. Each wave of disruption left its mark. “Each one tested our assumptions, our leadership, and our teams,” he said. “And yet, despite the turbulence, opportunities still exist and success is always possible. I started Noto Group in the midst of a recession, and the foundation I built during that time was stronger as a result. The constraints and challenges of those early days forced me to focus, innovate, and prioritize what mattered most.”
If there’s one thing Mr. Notowitz learned, it’s this: turbulence is not a detour, it’s the road. “And the CEOs who navigate it well don’t just adapt reactively,” he said. “They build the conditions for resilience, on purpose, with purpose, and alongside the people who power their organizations.”
Mr. Notowitz outlines five core leadership priorities that can help you build a resilient, focused, and adaptable team.
1. Anchor in Purpose, Not Just Plans.
When circumstances are uncertain, people need more than KPIs, they need clarity of purpose, Mr. Notowitz explained. “Your company’s purpose is the North Star that keeps your team oriented when strategies shift or business models evolve,” he said. “It’s not just about inspiration, it’s about alignment. Purpose answers the why behind every decision, and it fuels discretionary effort, especially during tough times. Teams connected to something meaningful push through challenges with greater creativity, unity, and drive.”
CEO move: Recenter teams around purpose in every major decision. Ask, how does this tie back to why we exist? That connection strengthens resilience at every level.
As founder and CEO of Noto Group, Roy Notowitz is a trusted advisor to entrepreneurs, founders, executive teams, investors, and boards of leading consumer brands across North America and Europe. Mr. Notowitz is also the host of How I Hire a highly regarded podcast that features interviews with C-suite leaders on topics of leadership, hiring, and team performance.
2. Design for Adaptability, Not Just Efficiency.
In stable conditions, Mr. Notowitz noted that efficiency is king. “In volatile environments, adaptability wins. Resilient organizations aren’t rigid, they’re responsive,” he explained. “They have systems, teams, and processes built to flex with changing realities. That means decentralizing decisions, empowering teams to act close to the front lines, and preparing for more than one future. Adaptability isn’t chaos, it’s disciplined agility with guardrails.”
CEO move: Re-evaluate where your structure may be slowing you down. Encourage scenario planning and make room for iteration, not just execution.
3. Turn Tension into Team Strength.
“Strong teams aren’t the ones that avoid tension, they’re the ones that manage it well,” Mr. Notowitz said. “Every team faces push-pull dynamics. These aren’t problems to fix, they’re tensions to navigate. High-functioning teams surface these dynamics and have the emotional safety to work through them. As a CEO, you set the tone for how tension is handled. When you model open dialogue, your teams learn that challenge isn’t conflict, it’s part of the process.”
CEO move: Ask your leadership team: Where are we seeing friction? Is it a signal we need to surface, or a tension we can better manage together?
4. Focus Meetings on Real Work, Not Just Updates.
One of the most common traps for executive teams Mr. Notowitz points to is spending valuable time on updates rather than collaboration. “Status reports have their place, but strategy, change, and integration are where leadership teams create value,” he noted. “If meetings feel like a string of reports, your team is missing opportunities to align on direction, navigate change, and break down silos.”
Related: A Look at How to Lead Through Crisis
CEO move: Redesign your leadership meeting rhythm. Carve out time each month to tackle the hard stuff, cross-functional priorities, interdependencies, and strategic pivots.
5. Support the Human Side of Performance.
Turbulence isn’t just operational, it’s emotional, according to Mr. Notowitz. “When people are under sustained pressure, performance can suffer unless there’s space for recovery and support,” he says. “The most resilient teams aren’t those that avoid stress, they’re the ones that understand how to handle it together. That starts with acknowledging how each person responds to stress, what support they need, and creating space to reset without guilt. Stress becomes toxic when it goes unnamed.”
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“It also means creating a culture where more voices are heard, especially in decision-making,” Mr. Notowitz continued. “Diverse perspectives are critical to navigating complexity. But if your team doesn’t feel safe to speak up, you’ll miss out on the very insights you need most.”
CEO move: Share your own stress triggers and needs. Ask your team to do the same. Then ask: Whose voice is missing from this conversation?
Final Thought: Resilience Is Built in the Day-to-Day
Mr. Notowitz said that “leading through turbulent times isn’t about staying in control, it’s about staying connected: to your purpose, your people, and the truth of the moment. Resilience isn’t a trait reserved for the lucky few, it’s something you can design into your team’s culture, systems, and mindset. It’s built through small choices: what you focus on in meetings, how you respond to tension, where you create space for rest and reflection, and when you invite others to lead alongside you.
“Turbulence will keep coming,” Mr. Notowitz continued. “The real question is: how ready are we to navigate it with clarity and confidence?”
Noto Group is an executive search and leadership consulting firm serving consumer brands across North America and Europe. Its executive searches span business functions and channels within the outdoor, active performance, sporting goods, food and beverage, fashion and natural products sectors.
Related: Navigating Uncertainty: How Non-Profit Executive Search is Evolving in 2025
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
