Leading Through Uncertain Times
June 6, 2025 – If you had to pick one adjective to describe all that is happening in the world right now, there is a strong chance – if not a high certainty – that you would pick the word uncertainty, says Tim Gardner of Teamalytics in a new report. “The stock market is volatile and, as a result, is uncertain,” Mr. Gardner said. “Restructuring at many companies is causing employees to look at their future with a sense of uncertainty. The anxiety people are feeling about the rising cost of food, goods, and services is uncertain. Governmental guidelines are changing, and the businesses that need to adapt and redirect processes are causing uncertainty.”
Uncertainty itself leads to an entirely new series of adjectives describing various situations and emotions, but all of those reactions stem from the fact that there are so many things around us that are simply, well, uncertain, according to Mr. Gardner.
So, how is one to lead through such uncertain times? What should a leader do to alleviate the stress that is typically associated with uncertainty? How should a leader behave in order to bring their team through this crisis, or any crisis for that matter, successfully?
Related: A Look at Executive Search in 2025
“First of all, it is important to understand that stress, uncertainty, and crisis do not create leaders,” Mr. Gardner said. “Stress, uncertainty, and crisis reveal leaders. They reveal our true selves. And they reveal the true leaders. And strong leaders know which two mistakes leaders must avoid during times of crisis.
Do You?
Mr. Gardner explained that leadership is undoubtedly and ultimately about behaviors. “Leaders who successfully bring those they lead through difficult, challenging, and uncertain times have learned, and continue to learn, how to be behave as authentic leaders,” he said. “Although admittedly imperfect, those who effectively lead in times such as these behave in a manner that demonstrates a wise balance of thinking and acting, while simultaneously exhibiting collaborative innovation.”
In other words, Mr. Gardner noted that they avoid these two critical leadership mistakes.
- Reacting rather than leading.
- Presuming that what worked in a previous crisis will work in the current crisis.
“These two key truths are critical to leading effectively through uncertain times,” Mr. Gardner said. “These are lessons that have been observed time and again throughout history by watching leaders who avoided these two critical mistakes … as well as by observing those leaders who have not followed them and failed.”
Executive Search: Challenges, Trends, and Hopes for a Hiring Resurgence in 2025
For many search firms in almost all industry segments, 2024 has been a tough year. There are many reasons for the recent downturn, and some firms have experienced a dip in revenues for even longer, according to Tim Tolan, founder, chairman, and managing partner of The Tolan Group. “Lots of changes are on the horizon for 2025 on the hiring front, and search firms are waiting with bated breath while hiring decisions are on hold, and draft fee agreements are (still) sitting in DocuSign waiting to be signed,” he said. “Decisions are dragging, as are active search engagements, as hiring managers and leaders struggle to make hiring decisions in the environment, we are all trying to navigate.”
In the Hunt Scanlon 2024 Executive Recruiting State of the Industry Report, the numbers reflected a double-digit downturn in demand for executive recruiting, with the private equity sector being the most affected. “We’ve seen and experienced that firsthand, but we feel positive changes are on the horizon,” Mr. Tolan said.
To word these two lessons from a positive perspective:
- Successful leaders do not react; rather, they thoughtfully and proactively lead.
- Successful leaders understand that what worked in the past may not work now, and therefore, they need to explore new and innovative solutions.
“Leadership is not about being perfect,” Mr. Gardner explained. “Even Moses, who effectively led the Israelites out of captivity, made these two mistakes while at the waters of Meribah. Part of leadership is, however, about learning from the past.”
As you lead through these uncertain times, Mr. Gardner said to remember:
- Thoughtfully and intentionally lead! Do not simply react to the crisis at hand.
- Thoughtfully and intentionally learn! Do not presume that what worked in the past will work now.
Teamalytics has uniquely qualified coaches, breadth of experience, and proprietary analytics to help clients build and sustain strong teams within an increasingly complex workplace. For three decades we’ve worked with leading organizations across industries to tackle team dissonance so that they can successfully face challenges like corporate changes, mergers, transformation, and performance gaps. Teamalytics is the business solutions unit of the Flippen Group. The Flippen Group is a leadership and organizational development company specializing in talent assessment and alignment.
Related: Hiring Confidence Slows as Employers Steer Economic Headwinds
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
