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5 tips to keep your cool and lead through uncertainty

Uncertainty is the watchword for these times. Dana Caspersen offers 5 ways leaders can navigate turbulence with clarity and purpose.

5 min read

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Uncertainty is the new normal. The year ahead promises its share of challenges, including geopolitical instability, market volatility and the social pressures of national polarization, which can seep down to impact the quality of workplace relationships. Yet, as a leader, you hold the power to navigate this turbulence with clarity and purpose. It starts with steadying your mind.

How you prepare in your daily life matters. The small, intentional practices you adopt now can become your go-to tools in stressful times. By syncing your mind and body, you can stay agile, respond with clarity, and pivot effectively when the unexpected arises.

Here are five actionable ways to keep calm and lead on in moments of crisis and change:

1. Ground yourself in the present

When chaos strikes, reconnect with your immediate surroundings to center yourself. Bring your attention to the texture of the table under your hands, the weight of your feet on the ground, or the feel of a pen in your fingers. These small, sensory details can quiet the noise in your head and anchor you in the present. 

Think of this as a reset button. These moments of mindfulness can pull you out of reactivity and create the space you need to think and act effectively.

2. Let your body shift your mindset

Your physical posture affects your mindset — use it to your advantage. Start with a quick exercise:

  • Stand or sit as you might when feeling stressed. Let the tension and closed-off posture settle in. Notice how it feels physically and mentally.
  • Then, shake that posture off and shift to stand or sit as you might if you were feeling curious. Let the sensation of curiosity fill your body and mind.

Practice toggling between these states a few times, recognizing how you can actively shift from tension to curiosity on demand. In moments of stress, choose curiosity over contraction, letting your body help you access that state of openness and possibility. This quick, internal reset can move you from reactive to proactive when it matters most.

3. Refocus your attention on what matters

Attention is your superpower, especially in times of stress. Where you place it determines your ability to find solutions — or spiral deeper into frustration.

When faced with a challenge, resist any temptation to fixate on blame, defensiveness, or attack. These reactive mindsets often lead to unproductive outcomes and heightened stress. Instead, redirect your attention to what truly matters: the underlying needs, goals, and interests of everyone involved.

Ask yourself and others: What’s the most important thing here? This simple question can reorient your thinking and open up new pathways for action. By focusing on the core issues rather than surface-level conflicts, you’ll be better equipped to navigate complexity and lead others to constructive outcomes. 

4. Borrow strength from outside sources

Leadership can feel isolating, but you don’t have to go it alone. Sometimes, the best way to regain your internal footing is to draw inspiration from outside yourself. Here’s how:

Think of someone you admire for their calm under pressure. It could be a mentor, a colleague, or even a fictional character or animal. Imagine them beside you, lending their energy and composure.

Alternatively, focus on an object that symbolizes strength or stability for you — a rock’s stillness, a tree’s rootedness. Channel those attributes into your state of mind and body.

These simple visualizations can help you recalibrate when your reserves feel depleted. They’re a reminder that internal steadiness is always within reach — and support lies all around us.

5. Use the breath to reset your nervous system

Few tools are as effective — or as readily available — as your breath. Controlled breathing is a proven way to calm your nervous system, regain focus and reduce the physiological effects of stress.

Here are two easy techniques:

  • Deep Breathing: Take three slow, deep breaths, making sure each exhale is longer than the inhale. Repeat as needed to ground yourself.
  • Box Breathing: A technique popularized by Navy SEALs for high-stress situations. Imagine a box, and with each action, trace one side of the box:
  1. Inhale for a count of four.
  2. Hold your breath for four counts.
  3. Exhale for four counts.
  4. Hold again for four counts.

Repeat this cycle three or four times to restore clarity and balance.

Resilience in action

No matter what this year brings, what you do as a leader matters. Your ability to remain resilient, focused and intentional profoundly influences your team and surroundings. By preparing yourself in the small moments throughout each day, you can increase your ability to respond with a steady mind, agile thought and the capacity to pivot in challenging times. Try working with these strategies in low-stakes moments so that you are prepared to access them easily when you really need to keep your cool.

Leadership isn’t about predicting the future; it’s about responding to it with clarity and purpose. The key lies in consistent, intentional practice. Cultivate habits today that prepare you to navigate challenges constructively tomorrow and inspire those around you to do the same.

Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.

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