In an era of volatility and disruption, effective leadership requires more than tradition and process — it demands agility, insight, and resilience. Authority Magazine recently interviewed Karen Hough, ImprovEdge Founder and CEO, to highlight five key strategies essential for leaders aiming to thrive in challenging environments.

1. Educate Yourself with Diverse Perspectives

Leaders must be relentless learners, especially during instability. Commit time to understanding new developments by listening to people across your ecosystem—staff, customers, competitors, vendors, even from other industries and academic research. One executive who joined a company amid COVID invested 4–6 hours per day in virtual conversations during their first month. By listening 80% of the time and asking questions, they rapidly built trust and social capital that boosted their early effectiveness (Medium).

2. Share Information Transparently and Often

Uncertainty breeds anxiety. The antidote? Clarity and consistency. Effective leaders increase communication cadence—moving from quarterly to monthly or weekly updates—to ensure teams stay informed about the context and rationale behind decisions. Framing these conversations with honesty (“this is based on what we know today; things may change”) builds trust and reduces fear.

3. Make Timely Decisions—Don’t Wait for Perfection

In turbulent times, delays cost more than imperfect decisions. Leaders should embrace making choices with around 70% of the information. As fresh data emerges, decisions can be refined. One logistics firm instills this approach in training: gather essential input, decide fast, adapt later. This mindset prevents stagnation and protects client relationships (Medium).

4. Get Creative—Turbulence Brings Opportunity

Disruption opens new paths. Leaders who rethink partnerships, product lines, and processes can uncover hidden advantages. Examples include competitors collaborating to secure supply chains and companies launching new service models when customers lose access. These creative pivots can turn adversity into market edge (Medium).

5. Prioritize Your Own Stress Management

Leaders are expected to be calm anchors. That’s impossible without self-care. Top leaders employ tools like:

• Breathing exercises (e.g., Dr. Weil’s 478 technique)
• Consistent sleep schedules
• Regular physical activity
• Support networks of friends or family for emotional release

These habits sustain performance through prolonged uncertainty.

Why These Strategies Matter

• Building trust through education and transparency empowers teams to be resilient in change.
• Swift, informed decisions keep momentum during unpredictability.
• Creativity in chaos reveals new value and builds adaptability.
• Self-care and emotional balance ensure leaders remain effective and inspirational.
• Belief in people drives performance and innovation.

How to Integrate These Practices

1. Schedule learning time: Block regular slots to meet with diverse stakeholders and absorb new trends.
2. Raise communication frequency: Shift updates to a cadence that reflects the pace of uncertainty.
3. Train decision discipline: Teach your leaders to decide quickly based on adequate—but not complete—information.
4. Launch creativity forums: Encourage teams to propose unconventional responses or partnerships.
5. Create self-care routines: Normalize and support wellness practices for yourself and your team.
6. Become a champion of confidence: Reinforce belief in people’s potential through affirmation, coaching, and autonomy.

By embracing these five principles—continuous learning, transparent communication, decisive action, creative agility, and emotional resilience—leaders not only survive uncertain times but also position their organizations to thrive.

Ready to lead this way? Start small: one extra conversation, one new communication rhythm, one quick decision, one creative idea, and one self-care habit. The impact can be transformational.

Read the full article:

https://medium.com/authority-magazine/karen-hough-of-improvedge-on-five-things-you-need-to-be-a-highly-effective-leader-during-uncertain-8ba12e1bd99b