The key to our success is to always believe in our abilities and actions.

Given the uncertainties you still face today, your confidence in your ability to navigate situations and circumstances is more important than ever, both as an individual and possibly as a leader.

What can you do if you suspect it is slipping or want to prevent it from doing so?

Obtaining certainty

For every fact, there are currently fifty opinions. Unfortunately, depending on our sources, we may hear more perspectives repeated more frequently. The majority of those predictions do not foresee a bright and happy future. We may be reacting out of fear rather than responding when we need to know what is truly going on so we can deal with it proactively.

You can boost your confidence by focusing on the familiar and making preparations for it. Even in uncertain times, there are facts hidden among the flurry of rumors and "what-ifs" (whether a pandemic or a corporate merger).

When you choose to focus on the facts and begin there, your confidence will grow and you will be able to function better in the real world. In a sea of uncertainty, the key is to find any solid ground you can.

Three Strategies for Dealing with Uncertainty

These three steps have proven to be useful in assisting you in acting strategically during times of ambiguity and uncertainty.

1. Pay close attention.

Listen to those outside your inner circle who have current perspectives and experience working with your clients, customers, and suppliers, as well as those who are in touch with areas of the company that you are not.

If you limit your input to your immediate circle of friends and family, and each of them does the same, there is a real danger of thinking similarly and falling into the "group think" trap.

In times of uncertainty, make sure to listen to and solicit feedback from your team, clients (or customers), suppliers, and anyone else who may be in a position to know what is going on and what the future may hold.

We all work and live in a larger ecosystem. Using all of yours can provide insightful hints that can help you make more confident strategy decisions.

2. Accept spontaneity

When you are in a position of leadership in an uncertain environment, you must adjust to changing conditions. Accepting improvisation is therefore required.

Leaders must take actions and make decisions that affect others without a playbook to guide them, much like performing artists who engage in "improv," which is an unscripted collaborative performance.

Having an improv mindset in these circumstances can be very beneficial. Being open to not having all the answers entails this. restraining yourself from making too many decisions at once, which could keep you stuck when nothing is guaranteed to stay the same. Additionally, keep your options open so you can be adaptable to shifting circumstances.

3. Focus on Principles

When conditions are ambiguous and subject to frequent change, you won't be able to use textbook solutions to every problem that arises. Your team will not, either.

Nothing can be planned for, to be honest. Even if you had a plan in place for every possible scenario, changes in the environment are likely to render it obsolete.

The most effective way to accomplish this is to base your decisions, actions, and strategy on principles.