Navigating perpetual uncertainty: Leader’s toolkit

During tense and uncertain times, decisions made without being clouded by emotion—driven primarily by logic and technical understanding—demonstrate true leadership

If there is one critical factor that will persist throughout the rest of the 21st century and beyond, it is uncertainty. The world is witnessing unprecedented macro changes, driven by a growing number of leaders making increasingly irrational decisions from a global perspective. These decisions are often rooted in individualistic views, backed by geopolitics and polarisation of power. I believe this situation will worsen, especially given the ongoing uncertain geopolitical shifts. 

In light of this, macro-level uncertainty and its impact on weaker, more vulnerable economies—such as Sri Lanka—are almost impossible to fully comprehend. Navigating a corporation in such uncertain waters, perhaps for an indefinite period, requires several key leadership traits that I believe need to be highlighted:

1)Gritty perseverance and decision-making through the lens of indifference

Let’s first build the understanding of gritty perseverance. Perseverance is the ability to keep going despite obstacles. Grit combines passion with perseverance with an ultimate long-term goal in mind. Hence, gritty perseverance is personified intent of achieving the long-term goal in life (the legacy that is created) driven by passion and want for sense of achievement.  

A leader’s ability to persevere through challenges, combined with effective decision-making, is greatly enhanced when approached with a degree of indifference. This does not imply apathy but rather the capacity to make impartial, rational decisions focused on what truly matters for the organisation’s long-term success.

During tense and uncertain times, decisions made without being clouded by emotion—driven primarily by logic and technical understanding—demonstrate true leadership. Maintaining this trait, even when progress is slow, exemplifies gritty perseverance.

Such gritty perseverance can inspire positive energy within the team, which is especially important when working with younger employees.

2) Broad perspective and the ability to decipher complexity through experience

Leaders with a wide-angle view can anticipate future trends, identify potential opportunities and threats, and develop strategies aligned with organisational goals. This is particularly effective if the leader has diverse experience across different fields or disciplines, helping them understand interconnected systems. 

Mastery of a specific discipline through extensive experience enables the leader to analyse problems effectively and communicate insights to the team. Recognising patterns in problem-solving, seasoned by experience, allows for better decision-making—something less experienced leaders often struggle with when faced with doubt and uncertainty.

It’s important to note that this is not about ignoring input from the team but rather possessing the cognitive agility to make sound objective driven decisions amidst ambiguity. The requirement of mastering a discipline through continuous learning is very important to achieve the above mentioned cognitive agility. The leader’s openness to learn, re-learn, unlearn and relearn is paramount. 

Indifference to operational matters and answering them through pure objective thinking will help the leader be free in the mind to look at strategy from a macro perspective (reduce impairment of tunnel vision, develop the wide-angle view), be that free thinker to bring in “out of the box” strategic solutions.

3) Connecting empathetically with all walks of life while maintaining indifference

A leader who combines empathy with objectivity can foster an inclusive and productive environment. They can connect on a personal level with all levels of society, understanding their team members’ concerns, yet still make decisions aligned with company policies and objectives.

The term “indifference” can sometimes be misunderstood as a lack of care. Here, it refers to the ability to remain calm and composed even amid emotional or conflicting situations. It involves not being easily swayed by emotional arguments, instead focusing on the bigger picture and organisational goals—this relates to emotional regulation and self-awareness.

4) The benevolent disciplinarian

This leadership style balances kindness, fairness, and compassion with the ability to set clear expectations and enforce rules. It emphasises individualised care and promotes the well-being and development of team members while maintaining a structured environment.

Such a leader fosters trust, encourages growth, and creates a positive, goal-oriented culture. They clarify that promotions and growth are based on objective evaluations and achievement of strategic KPIs aligned with company goals—not favouritism or subjective opinions.

This approach cultivates a friendly, open culture built on a firm deep rooted commitment to measurable results.

5) The sports mindset

High intense high performance leaders focus on making their team and others successful. The emphasis is not on personal glory but on actions, outcomes, the organisation’s mission, and its deep purpose. This mindset is commonly seen in top sports teams, where collective success is prioritised.

In closing, I started by highlighting key leadership traits necessary in highly uncertain environments. These skills are difficult to apply without a strong sense of self-awareness, which is rooted in understanding the impermanence of any given moment. Once the leader is aware that the most uncertain or critically intense moment is impermanent in nature, hence needs to be looked objectively through the indifference lens, he does not panic, he does not stress out the team, he is calm and content in his approach, being well mindful of the outcome (makes the team to look up to the leader). 

Sometimes there are moments that one needs to realise that external factors cannot be fully controlled but only anticipated and be prepared, this preparation is based on point number 2 above. In achieving all this my personal opinion is that, the key element to initially develop is the mindset of a gritty persevering sportsman. The indifference and objectivity culminated by benevolence will follow with mastering a discipline, awareness and experience. 

(The writer is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He is the CEO of a mid-sized exporter and a Strategy/Investment advisor to companies. He can be contacted through: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saminda-weerasinghe-cfa-a3333358/.)