Leading Through Volatility
Strategies for Thriving in an Uncertain World
In a world where disruption dominates headlines and uncertainty permeates every decision, leadership isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. Businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits must adapt to an operating environment that is evolving faster than ever, reshaping the rules of the game.
Organizations that act decisively today will shape the future, while those that hesitate risk being left behind. Dramatic as it may sound, in today’s volatile world, hesitation is a risk that no organization can afford. This article presents five strategies for leaders to consider when planning their path to growth in the year ahead.
The Volatile World We’re Operating In
Sound strategies are rooted in the realities of the operating environment, adapting to its challenges rather than clinging to outdated assumptions. While reading Ian Bremmer’s 2025 Risk Report this week, I was captivated by his opening line: “We are heading back to the law of the jungle. A world where the strongest do what they can, while the weakest are condemned to suffer what they must.”
Bremmer’s stark assessment of the political landscape underscores the growing fragmentation of global leadership and its cascading effects on organizations and individuals. This erosion of global cooperation fuels uncertainty at every level—from international relations to local markets—creating what can be described as negative atmospherics on a macro scale.
In our book, Left of Bang, atmospherics refers to the collective mood and feelings of an area. It highlights how the perception of risks and threats shapes the behavior of those present. At the macro level, negative atmospherics describe the widespread sense of unease that shapes behavior in today’s volatile world. What makes this so critical for leaders is that the perception of threat often matters more to the people present than the objective reality.
Geopolitical tensions, natural disasters, economic instability, terrorist attacks, and a pervasive sense of uncertainty have created a backdrop to the start of 2025 where survival instincts dominate. A sampling of headlines over the past year reveals organizations growing increasingly defensive in their efforts to protect resources, becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of every available dollar, or becoming paralyzed by an inability to act amidst change. Recognizing and responding to these behavioral patterns is a crucial responsibility for today’s leaders.
The Role of Leaders in Navigating Volatility
Leaders must understand how negative atmospherics and their cascading effects influence everything from workforce retention to customer confidence in their organization. With so much at stake, executives cannot afford to rely solely on instinct or reactive decision-making.
Recognizing these patterns doesn’t just highlight challenges—it provides clarity. While disasters and unforeseen business disruptions will impact most organizations, the difference in outcome lies in how leaders choose to respond.
As disruptions arise, "summer soldier" organizations—those unprepared for adversity—will struggle. By contrast, proactive, targeted, and adaptive leaders can build the capabilities their organizations need to thrive.
As outlined in “The Evolution of Left of Bang,” every organization is already on one of three trajectories: growing, surviving, or failing. The decisions we make now—building the capabilities to recognize change and act with confidence—determine where we end up when disruptions strike.
While disruptions are unavoidable, leaders can take steps to reduce the fog of uncertainty that can settle after they occur. By focusing on what they can control and clearly communicating stability and direction, they create the confidence needed to guide their teams through volatility. Just as calming an angry crowd can prevent chaos, setting a clear path forward ensures that teams remain focused and effective.
With the stakes so high, these five strategies offer leaders a roadmap to not only navigate uncertainty but proactively thrive in its midst.
Five Strategies for Leading Through Volatility
1. Create Stability Amid Discomfort
In a volatile environment, the perception of stability becomes a critical differentiator for retaining talent and fostering morale—two critical elements to an organization achieving its goals. Leaders must focus on creating conditions in which employees feel secure, even in the face of uncertainty, to get the best out of each team member.
Think beyond quick fixes: Layoffs or drastic cost-cutting measures might solve short-term financial issues but risk long-term damage to organizational trust and loyalty. Employees who witness these decisions often disengage, even if they remain, knowing they could be next, or become bitter after witnessing how their friends and colleagues were treated.
Rethink workplace policies: A rigid, one-size-fits-all return-to-office mandate may save overhead costs but can alienate your best employees who have grown accustomed to flexibility. Instead, involve teams in designing hybrid or in-office arrangements that work for both organizational and employee needs.
Prioritize transparency: Frequent, clear communication about the organization's goals, challenges, and decision-making processes fosters trust. Employees are more likely to stay engaged when they understand the “why” behind tough decisions.
Yes, as the leader, your responsibility is to see the organization grow. History is filled with stories of leaders who made tough, necessary decisions to weather crises. But how many of those choices were the result of previous poor strategic planning, like over-hiring during growth periods, leaving leaders to cut back later? How you approach these moments—your decisions and how you communicate them—shapes your reputation, your legacy, and your ability to succeed.
2. Protect Focus and Attention
In today’s “always on” environment, distraction is a not-so-silent productivity killer, especially for knowledge workers whose success often hinges on the ability to focus deeply. Leaders must take responsibility for shielding their teams from the constant barrage of interruptions and enable them to engage in meaningful work.
Audit communication channels. Countless emails, chats, phone calls, text messages, and alerts compete for attention, turning even minor interruptions into major productivity drains. Leaders should critically evaluate whether each communication platform adds value or contributes to unnecessary noise and distraction.
Make asynchronous communication the norm. Leaders must actively promote asynchronous communication and model its effectiveness. Reward systems shouldn’t prioritize the first person to respond but instead value thoughtful, timely input. Make uninterrupted work the default by scheduling collaborative time for when synchronous communication is truly needed. These actions demonstrate that focused work is not just encouraged but deeply valued.
Create “anchor points” for concentration. Employees need environments—both physical and digital—that support their ability to focus. Physical quiet zones, digital tools that filter non-urgent notifications, and practices like time-blocking can help protect attention. Leaders can implement these systems to empower teams to engage in uninterrupted, high-impact work.
The leader is the first and most important line of defense for their team’s time and attention. It is your responsibility to ruthlessly shield your team from unnecessary distractions—whether they come from outside the team, higher-ups, or even within the team itself. By doing so, you create the conditions for focus and productivity to thrive, ensuring that your team can perform at their best despite the best attempts of others to capture your attention.
3. Build Situational Awareness Platforms
Organizations can’t afford to operate blindly in a volatile world. Leaders must prioritize building systems that provide accurate, timely insights into external and internal challenges.
Refine monitoring systems: The key isn’t gathering more data for the sake of quantity, but instead focusing on actionable intelligence. Customize dashboards or tools to deliver relevant information, minimizing irrelevant or redundant noise.
Improve signal-to-noise ratios: Regularly evaluate your sources of intelligence. Are you tracking metrics or events that truly align with your goals? Do you have filters in place to highlight critical developments?
Train for recognition and action: A great monitoring system is only as good as the team interpreting it. Equip employees with the skills to identify emerging risks and opportunities quickly and accurately.
The leader is ultimately responsible for ensuring their organization has the tools and clarity to act decisively in uncertain times. It’s your job to fine-tune the flow of information, filter out noise, and ensure your team is equipped with actionable insights—not overwhelmed by irrelevant data. You do this by knowing what decisions you need to make, knowing what information you need in order to make them, and proactively refining situational awareness platforms to deliver that information.
4. Turn Disruptions into Opportunities
Volatility creates unanticipated openings for bold and decisive action. Organizations with the agility to seize these moments often emerge stronger.
Free your resources: Avoid tying up resources in perpetually unfinished projects. Establish clear “done” criteria for tasks and initiatives, freeing teams to pivot toward emerging opportunities without lingering on unfinished work.
Know your priorities: Regularly reassess your workplan to identify what’s still relevant and impactful. Adjust your focus as conditions evolve, ensuring that resources and top talent are always aligned with high-impact initiatives.
Move quickly but thoughtfully: Opportunities in volatile times are fleeting. While speed is essential, rushing without a clear plan can backfire. Develop a process for vetting and acting on opportunities efficiently.
Leaders must see beyond the chaos of disruption and recognize the opportunities hidden within. It’s your responsibility to ensure your organization is agile and resource-ready, capable of pivoting quickly to seize fleeting moments of advantage. By clearly defining priorities, freeing up resources, and empowering your team to act decisively, you turn volatility from a threat into a catalyst for growth. The organizations that thrive in uncertain times are led by those who are bold enough to act when others hesitate.
5. Pace Yourself for Future Disruptions
Sustainability is key. Overloading your team or burning through resources in the short term leaves your organization vulnerable to future challenges.
Avoid redlining: Constantly pushing your team to operate at maximum capacity leads to burnout, mistakes, and missed opportunities. Plan workloads that allow for recovery and adaptability.
Build margin into your plans: Include contingency time and resources in every initiative, knowing that unexpected disruptions are inevitable. This proactive approach ensures your team isn’t blindsided when new challenges emerge.
Lead by example: Leaders set the tone for balance. Demonstrate intentionality in how you allocate your time and energy, modeling the sustainable behaviors you expect from your team.
Leadership in volatile times is not about constant overexertion—it’s about sustainability and duration. As a leader, your role is to ensure your team operates with the intensity needed to succeed today while preserving the capacity to respond to tomorrow’s challenges. Burnout is not a badge of honor—it’s a leadership failure. By intentionally pacing your organization, protecting your people from exhaustion, and building margin into your plans, you create the conditions for long-term success in a world where disruptions will continue to come.
Closing the Loop
These recommendations aren’t just theoretical—they’re practical steps that leaders can take to thrive in today’s volatile operating environment. By focusing on stability, attention, awareness, opportunity, and sustainability, leaders can turn volatility into an advantage. These strategies not only help organizations survive disruption but position them for long-term success.
I’d like to help
Most leaders don’t have the time to think about and implement all five recommendations on their own, and it helps to have another voice and person to execute the initiatives you choose. If you have big projects on the horizon—projects with a bold vision but leave you questioning your organization’s ability to execute them—let’s talk.
This isn’t a pitch—it’s an opportunity for a discussion about your plan to grow and the challenges that could prevent you from accomplishing your goals. This is the time to get left of bang and ensure their success.