The Role of Confidence in Uncertainty

The world has always been an uncertain place. After all, none of us can see or predict the future. And the level of uncertainty we face as the world has grown more complex at times seems almost overwhelming. Yet in the face of that uncertainty, we still need to act. And as a leader, having confidence in uncertainty can set us apart and help us build stronger teams and ultimately get better results.

Think about how you feel when you are uncertain.

I’m guessing “confident” isn’t at the top of your list.

But think about it again. What if you had more confidence- even in uncertainty. What would that mean?

It wouldn’t mean that the uncertainty would go away, but you would be better able to navigate that uncertainty for yourself and others.

Here are a few things you can do in uncertain times to build your confidence.

Remember Past Successes

Confidence can always be built or reinforced when we remember how we have succeeded or preserved in the past. Specifically, when dealing with times of uncertainty, consider how you have successfully navigated uncertainties in the past, and even how you got past them when things didn’t do so well. Confidence can be built based on success, but also by realizing that you have been resilient when things didn’t go as well as you hoped.

Focus on What is Known

One of the mistakes many people make during times of uncertainty and change is assuming (or acting as if) everything is in flux or changing. Rarely is this true. Taking time to determine/realize what isn’t changing or what is certain in the situation makes the change and uncertainty you do face more manageable. As a leader, it is our job to help people see the situation as it truly is – which often means that there are many things we do know or aren’t changing. Having that clarity can increase our confidence in the uncertainty that does exist.

Consider the Context

In Flexible Leadership, I share a complete framework to help us understand the context of a situation. Here we are already narrowing the context down to either complicated or complex. For purposes here, consider this question – what do we/can we know about the future and situation? If someone knows or has a perspective we don’t have, work to gain or learn from that expertise. The less that is known or can be known, the more input and ideas you want to help you determine what to try, test or pilot. In uncertainty, testing things is most often better than making long-term or “final” decisions.

When we realize we are testing things, we take the pressure off of ourselves to be confident in the perfect answer.

Reframe Threat as an Opportunity

When things are uncertain, our human negativity bias can easily have us focused on our anxiety and worst-case scenarios. But in all difficult situations, opportunities exist or will emerge. When you actively and intentionally search for opportunities, you change your mindset, making it easier to find at least some confidence in a challenging and uncertain time.

Balance Confidence and Humility

The confidence you want, and that we have been exploring, isn’t braggadocious over-confidence. It is a confidence that comes from knowing you don’t have all the answers, but trust yourself and your team to figure things out as they come. This requires a level of humility too. You don’t know everything. In times of uncertainty, you likely can’t know everything even if you wanted to. When you realize this, you allow yourself to be more curious, ask more questions, and remain present. Doing this calms you and your team and helps you all to be more confident in what you do know and allows you to trust the process you are using to make progress despite the uncertainty.

Doing these things builds your confidence in the moment or time of uncertainty, but they do something else – they build your confidence for future uncertainty too.

My upcoming book, Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence, helps you lead with greater confidence – even in times of uncertainty. The ideas of this article are an extension of, not a rewriting of, a part of the book. Which means, if you liked this, you will love the book!

Pre-order your copies today.