"If my three-decade journey in the corporate world has taught me anything, it's that in business, as in life, the only certainty is uncertainty. In the past 20 years, periods of upheaval, from pandemics to financial crises to AI hysteria, have restitched the fabric of how we work, travel, and communicate. While this uncertainty can generate tension and turmoil, it also forges the best leaders."
"There's a tendency for companies to become ultra-cautious in times of uncertainty. While this may seem prudent, it's difficult to get ahead of what's coming with your head down. The best leaders look ahead and make smart investments even when markets are down and sentiment is grim. In the wake of 9/11, I was at GE Aviation (now GE Aerospace)."
Uncertainty is the only constant in business, reshaping work, travel, and communication through pandemics, financial crises, and AI-driven change. Volatility can determine success versus failure by a single action or inaction. Effective leaders display three characteristics, including the willingness to double down during downturns and the ability to absorb team fear. Doubling down means making strategic investments when markets are grim, exemplified by increased jet-engine R&D after 9/11 despite long 15–20 year ROI cycles, enabling market capture when demand returns. Absorbing fear is likened to John Coffey's gift of taking on others' burdens.
Read at Fast Company
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