Leading Through Ambiguity – Your Shot of Fearless Culture #368

Where change agents find their weekly dose of culture insights and exercises, one topic at a time.

Mar 12, 2025

I'm writing this from a plane after four intense weeks on the road.

Different teams, different industries, different challenges, yet there’s one underlying theme: uncertainty is everywhere – and anxiety is taking a toll on people.

Research confirms it: anxiety is at an all-time high.

Teams spend too much time worrying about things they can’t control.

Leaders are expected to provide certainty even if they have as many questions as everyone else.

And the cost is massive.

Anxiety is a productivity killer: It hijacks focus, stifles creativity, and slows decision-making.

But pretending anxiety is not an issue? That backfires.

The most resilient teams don't waste time trying to eliminate uncertainty — they learn to lead through it.

Adaptive leaders expand the clarity zone, communicate what they do know, and act with consistency. They don’t get lost in hypotheticals they can’t solve yet.

So, how do you lead when you don't have all the answers?

Explore this week’s newsletter:

My latest article → How to Help Your Team When Anxiety Is High
Practical tips and insights to deal with uncertainty and anxiety
Some exciting news: our global culture pulse and last day to save $300 on our programs

Stay fearless, my friend.

Gustavo

In Case You Missed It

→ How to stop ambiguity from frustrating your team

[Participate] 2025 Global Culture Pulse

How does org culture shape success – and how do you measure it? How is your company navigating hybrid/remote work? What lasting impact has COVID had on wellbeing? What challenges stand in the way of building an adaptive, innovative culture?

At Fearless Culture, we’re conducting a global culture study to uncover key workplace trends and challenges – and we’d love to hear from you.

We’re interviewing CHROs, People and Culture leaders, and C-level executives to get their insights and perspectives – interviews are 30 minutes long and confidential.

Want to participate? Complete this short form. As a thank-you, you’ll receive a copy of the global report.

Ask Your Team This

What’s one thing making work feel more stressful or uncertain lately?

⚠️ Try It Today

Fact vs. Assumptions.

Have your team list all uncertainties causing stress. Then, separate them into two columns:

Fact – what we know for sure
Assumptions – Stories, worst-case scenarios, or interpretations

Discuss as a group: What evidence supports our assumptions? What’s another possible explanation? Reframe unhelpful narratives and reflect on how to focus on what we know or can understand versus what’s outside our control or based on speculation.

🍦 Feed Your Curiosity

The world is changing, but not as fast as we think

6 leadership traits to thrive in uncertainty

How to support your team when uncertainty is high

🔥 Last day to save $300

Dive deep into culture design with the Build a Fearless Culture program.

Master all the building blocks of culture – from psychological safety and purpose to feedback and decision-making.

Save $300 – early bird ends tomorrow.

Over eight sessions, you’ll acquire new tools and methods to improve your workplace culture – from feedback and meetings to psychological safety and decision-making.

All our culture design programs have 100+ 5-star Google Reviews.