Dear Leadership Sage,

Every day brings a new wave of challenges—price hikes, government shake-ups, supply problems. Just when I think I’ve got things figured out, everything changes again.

Meanwhile, the business doesn’t stop, my team still needs me, and I’ve got to keep leading. But honestly? I feel paralyzed.

How can I move forward when I don’t know what’s coming next?

Sincerely,
Struggling to Move Forward

Dear Moving Forward:

I once went on a mountain hike that took a turn for the worse—fast. My dad and I had been climbing for hours, and as we rounded a ridge near the summit, we walked straight into a powerful, steady wind. The hike had already been tough, so we decided to take a quick break.

What I didn’t realize was that hypothermia can sneak up on you, even at 70 degrees, if you’re sweaty and sitting in the wind. One moment, I was fine—tired but enjoying the challenge. The next, it was like my brain had switched to slow motion. Everything felt foggy, and my body started shaking. I barely managed to dig out my down jacket and put it on. In just minutes, I had gone from powering up the trail to struggling to think and function.

Looking back, I can see exactly what happened, and I’m grateful my jacket was at the top of my pack. But in the moment? It felt like everything was changing faster than I could keep up. I didn’t want to admit it to my dad, but I was overwhelmed and scared. I had never experienced anything like that before.

That feeling? It’s what I believe leadership feels like right now. Leaders are trying to keep the business running while facing one unexpected challenge after another. They’re supposed to plan ahead, even when the ground is shifting beneath them. And while they’re working hard to be a steady presence for their teams, they’re also human—grappling with their own doubts, exhaustion, and stress.

Right now, everyone’s sweaty, tired, and getting hit by wind from all directions.

But here’s what experienced climbers—and strong leaders—know: pausing isn’t the same as stopping. You don’t have to predict every twist and turn to make it to the summit. What matters is maintaining your strength, staying prepared for changing conditions, and taking one steady step at a time.

Here are four key places to start as you figure out what to do next:

1. Strengthen Your Leadership Core (Self-Maintenance, Not Spa Days)

A mountaineer doesn’t start climbing without conditioning. A leader can’t face uncertainty without maintaining their own resilience. This isn’t about indulgence—it’s about essential upkeep so you can lead under pressure.

Think of it as keeping your muscles strong before the toughest part of the climb. Here are some practices I’ve found helpful for myself:

Mental clarity: Meditate for 10-15 minutes twice daily to stay focused. We recently tried Ziva Meditation and loved it.*
Physical endurance: Exercise at least twice a week to build stamina.
Emotional grounding: Prioritize personal relationships to stay balanced.

When the altitude gets high and the air gets thin, your team will look to you. If you haven’t taken care of yourself, you may not be able to lead them when they need you most.

2. Map Multiple Routes to the Summit (Scenario Planning)

Smart climbers don’t rely on just one route—they plan for multiple possibilities. The same goes for leadership. When the path ahead is unclear, the best thing you can do is map out different ways forward so you’re not caught off guard.

As COVID hit our business, our team did some planning together that looked like this:

Identify Three Scenarios: What’s the best-case, worst-case, and most likely path?
Assess the Terrain: How would each scenario impact your business, people, and customers?
Prepare Your Gear: What resources, plans, or decisions will you need for each?
Set Markers: What key signals will tell you when to adjust your course?
Listen to the Whole Team: What are people seeing that’s different? How can we anticipate and prevent blind spots?

Even if conditions change, having a plan means you won’t be scrambling when the unexpected happens.

3. Keep Moving—Because Action Creates Hope

Climbers don’t wait for the mountain to become less steep. They take the next step.

Hope isn’t just a feeling—it’s built through action. Some of the most resilient organizations don’t just survive challenges; they use them to rethink, innovate, and find new paths. Here’s some possibility thinking as food for thought:

Jack Stack’s Recession Playbook
A seasoned business leader, Jack ensures his company always has cash available to buy otherwise good businesses that didn’t prepare enough for recessions and gets great employees and customers at bargain prices.
Pandemic Pivots
Many businesses used crisis moments to rethink their models and emerge stronger. When Trebuchet Group’s in-person work evaporated at the start of the COVID shutdown, we worked hard to figure out how to get the same, positive impacts online that we got in person - and clients repurposed their unspent travel monies to upgrade their teams and organizations with our online help.
Your Own Leadership Opportunity
What new approaches could this challenge reveal for you?

The best leaders don’t wait for certainty—they build momentum through small, intentional actions. How might you and your team create the future you most need?

4. Communicate Like a Trail Guide

On an uncertain climb, the worst thing a guide can do is ignore what’s actually happening—or panic. A great leader balances honest transparency with confidence in the team’s ability to adapt.

Avoid extremes: Don’t ignore risks, yet don’t feed fear.
Share the plan in digestible steps: Too much unknown can create anxiety.
Encourage problem-solving: Use the phrase “What might we do?” to foster collective resilience.

When leaders communicate with clarity, honesty, and steady confidence, they create a sense of direction even in the face of uncertainty. How can you share—authentically and realistically—where you and your team need to do next?

Your Next Move: Take the First Next Step

Right now, you may feel like you’re standing alone, unsure of the next move. Yes uncertainty isn’t the problem—inaction is.

The best climbers don’t freeze when conditions change quickly. They maintain their own strength, plan multiple routes, take meaningful action, and guide their team with steady confidence.

So the real question isn’t “How do I eliminate uncertainty?”—it’s “How do I move forward despite it?”

That journey starts now.

If you’re ready to build resilience in your leadership and team, let’s talk.

PS. If you’re interested in trying ZIVA, email us for a discount code.*