#239

As the world continues to spin at what feels like an ever-increasing pace, many of the conversations I’m having with clients centre on navigating an increasing level of uncertainty.

How do I lead when the map keeps changing?

How do I motivate others when they’re navigating instability themselves

Philosophically, the future has always been uncertain. 

Our diminishing confidence in our predicative ability makes it feel more destabilising.

So, I run a small thought experiment with clients.

What’s happening next Friday at 10am?

Or a week on Monday at 5pm?

Most people don’t really know. They can predict. They can estimate. They can assume based on previous patterns.

But they don’t know.

And yet…they’re not anxious about that specific moment.

They’re not losing sleep over next Friday at 10am despite it being uncertain.

So, what’s going on?

If uncertainty itself were the problem, we’d be in a permanent state of panic.

But we’re not.

Which suggests something else is at play.

Consider this:

If you knew that in any possible version of your future you weren’t going to lose anything you currently value - your status, your income, your relationships, your health, your identity - would uncertainty still feel threatening?

Most people say no.

Which leads to a subtle but powerful shift:

Maybe uncertainty isn’t primarily about fear of the unknown.

Maybe it’s about fear of losing the known.

The known being a combination of tangible and intangible assets:

Security.

Income.

Reputation.

Status.

Belonging.

Control.

Predictability.

When uncertainty increases and our threat response is triggered, what we’re often seeking isn’t necessarily certainty.

We’re protecting identity.

So instead of asking, “How do I eliminate uncertainty?”

Perhaps a better question is:

“What am I afraid of losing?”

And alongside that:

“What will still remain, no matter what changes?”

Your values?

Your capability?

Your relationships?

Your character?

Your resourcefulness?

Uncertainty may rearrange the furniture.

It rarely removes the foundation.

A small reflection experiment, complete these sentence stems:

> When uncertainty increases, I tend to…A

> If I didn’t do that, I’d worry that…B

> What that protects in me is…C

> C is usually some sort of assumption – how might I gently experiment with it?

Uncertainty isn’t new.

But your relationship with it can be.