Sydney is smart and experienced in her role as Director of Communications at a major studio.
But when she came to coaching, she was exhausted from the swirling happening around her.
The industry was shifting (again). Budgets were tightening (again). Her team was anxious, and all eyes were on her for direction.
She told me, “I feel like I’m supposed to be the calm one in the storm but I can’t even hear myself think.”
What Sydney was really dealing with was uncertainty overload and it was quietly undermining her leadership.
When Uncertainty Hijacks Your Leadership
Your brain doesn’t love ambiguity. In fact, it reads it as danger.
That means your stress response gets activated. You might freeze. Over-function. Get quiet. Or, over-explain. You might second-guess decisions that used to come easily.
That’s what was happening to Sydney. And it was slowly draining her presence, confidence, and ability to move forward.
But through our work together, she started shifting her relationship with uncertainty.
Here are the same three strategies I coached her through. Ones I’ve used with dozens of other leaders navigating unpredictable terrain.
Tip 1: Don’t Wait for Clarity — Create It
Sydney kept saying, “Once I know the full picture, I’ll make a move.”
But clarity wasn’t coming. She was stuck in pause mode.
So, we worked on creating micro-clarity instead.
I asked her:
What’s one thing you do know right now?
What’s one small step you can take this week?
As soon as she shifted her focus from controlling outcomes to creating direction, her brain began to settle. She became more decisive. Her team noticed.
That’s the power of calming your nervous system by giving it something solid, even if it’s small.
Tip 2: Lead from Your Strengths
Sydney had always been the go-to communicator — clear, strategic, and creative. But uncertainty had pulled her into doubt, and she forgot what she was great at.
So, we went back to her strengths.
We reviewed what naturally energized her, what had made her successful, and what grounded her when things got hard. That reconnection changed everything.
She even said, “I forgot how alive and confident I feel when I’m in my zone.”
This is why I often recommend leaders take the Hello Inner Genius Strengths Assessment. Knowing your genius is essential, especially when everything around you feels like a question mark.
Tip 3: Reframe the Unknown as a Creative Space
Once Sydney was more grounded, we tackled the final piece — how she was talking about uncertainty.
She often said things like “I’m stuck” or “Everything is on hold.”
We reframed that language.
Instead of “I’m stuck,” she began saying “I’m exploring.” Instead of “I don’t know what’s happening,” she said “We’re creating new possibilities.”
The result? She became more agile, curious, and resilient. And her team followed her lead.
Uncertainty isn’t going away.
But your relationship with it can change.
Like Sydney, when you stop trying to control the fog and start anchoring into what’s already true inside you, you reclaim your energy, focus, and influence.
You don’t need to wait until things are perfectly clear. You just need to apply these strategies when you are inside the fog.
Want to Get Clear on Your Strengths?
Discover the traits that ground your confidence and leadership clarity: Take the Hello Inner Genius Strengths Assessment. Or, grab the Strengths + Passions Bundle and save.
Uncertainty loses its grip when you lead from your genius.
Meet Phyllis — A former entertainment exec turned high-impact coach. Phyllis is on a mission to help trailblazing leaders in Hollywood and beyond ditch self-doubt or Imposter Syndrome, use their strengths to make the biggest impact, and to start living from their own genius. She’s coached thousands of leaders and teams (from Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon MGM Studios, Google, Meta, Spotify, Atlantic Records, Paramount Global, and more) to lead with greater confidence, influence, and impact. If it boosts leadership impact and builds confident leaders, she’s on it! Read more about her here.