What is the #1 Skill for Leaders in Uncertain Times?
The pressure on leaders today is unprecedented. You’re not just navigating uncertainty — you’re surrounded by it.
We’re operating in a perfect storm of complexity:
- The explosive rise of AI is reshaping entire industries, from finance to healthcare to education, at breakneck speed.
- The war in Ukraine continues to destabilize energy markets and economic alliances.
- Geopolitical trade tensions, especially between the US, China, and the EU, are redrawing the global supply chain in real time.
In this kind of environment, traditional leadership approaches — rooted in strategic planning, efficiency, and control—are no longer enough. In fact, they can slow your organization down just when you need to speed up.
So what do leaders need to do different? Which skill do they need the most? Is that micro-management, controlling details? Or give more speeches about the vision and the future? Altough the latter is needed, there is another skill that will trump at #1.
The #1 Leadership Skill Today: Strategic Agility
“Strategic agility is the ability to sense change early, adapt direction fast, and mobilize people effectively in the face of unpredictability.”
— Doz & Kosonen
It’s not about doing more with less. It’s about learning faster than your environment is changing. Learning faster than your competitors.
Why Strategic Agility Matters
You can’t forecast the future anymore — you have to flow with it. Strategic agility helps organizations:
- Spot emerging customer needs before competitors do
- Shift resources to new opportunities rapidly
- Stay aligned even when conditions change weekly
- Experiment without fear of failure or delay
Think about the rise of ChatGPT. How many leaders saw it coming, but failed to act? Strategic agility is what separates those who react from those who reinvent.
What Leaders Must Do Differently
Becoming strategically agile isn’t about adopting new tools—it’s about leading in a new way. Here’s how:
1. Create a Context for Fast Learning and Adaptation
Leaders must build safe-to-fail environments where experimentation is expected.
- Replace rigid annual planning with rolling priorities
- Encourage teams to test hypotheses and measure customer impact
- Celebrate lessons learned—not just results delivered
Example: Atlassian’s “ShipIt Days” give teams 24 hours to prototype ideas—with full support from leadership.
2. Push Decision-Making to the Frontlines
In volatile markets, centralized control is a bottleneck. Empower the people closest to customers to make timely decisions.
- Invest in local context, not top-down rules
- Use clear intent, not micromanaged instructions
Example: Amazon’s “two-pizza teams” are autonomous by design—so they can build, launch, and iterate quickly.
3. Facilitate Candor and Psychological Safety
Agile organizations require real talk. That means creating a culture where bad news travels fast and feedback is frequent.
- Model vulnerability as a leader
- Ask hard questions—and listen deeply
Example: Pixar’s “Braintrust” meetings are legendary for candid feedback that strengthens creative ideas.
4. Ask Questions That Make People Think
Stop being the answer machine. Start being the question-asker.
- What’s changing in our customer’s world right now?
- If we were to start fresh, what would we build?
- What are we afraid of—and why?
5. Provide Clarity—Especially in the Fog
Agile doesn’t mean chaos. It means clarity of purpose and flexibility in path.
- Set inspiring, directional goals
- Communicate “what good looks like” without locking into rigid roadmaps
- Be decisive when it counts, but open to rewiring when reality changes
Example: During COVID, Airbnb rewrote its strategy in weeks—cutting costs, refocusing on hosts, and shifting to long-term stays.
Want to Build Your Strategic Agility?
Strategic agility isn’t a buzzword—it’s a muscle you can build. And it’s exactly what I help leaders do every day through coaching, training, and hands-on tools.
I’m offering a free 1-on-1 coaching session for agile leaders who want to:
- Navigate uncertainty with confidence
- Inspire agile thinking in their teams
- Create a culture of adaptability and ownership
