How to lead with strength and authenticity amid uncertainty

Uncertainty is no longer an occasional leadership challenge – it is the operating environment. As Brené Brown describes in Strong Ground, what is asked of leaders and managers today is intense: sustained pressure, high expectations, rapid change and limited opportunities to pause or recover.

In this context, leaders are required to become what I often describe as ‘leadership athletes’ – resilient, self-aware, adaptable and grounded, while still delivering performance through others.

This article explores how leaders can sustain high-performing teams during uncertainty, without sacrificing authenticity or wellbeing – even when it can feel, at times, as though we are losing ourselves in the chaos.

1. To stay grounded, remember where you come from

Authentic leadership starts with grounding. And grounding begins with remembering where you started.

I come from a working-class French family. My father experienced significant childhood trauma and had very little when my mother became pregnant at 19. Yet he chose to turn his life around so that my sister and I could have what we needed.

From him, I learned values that still guide me today: hard work, commitment, dedication – and the understanding that life is not easy and nothing should be taken for granted. Money was always tight. I remember carefully checking prices with my mother during our weekly shopping, a habit that taught me discipline, responsibility and gratitude.

As a leader, knowing where I come from helps me stay grounded when pressure rises. It reminds me why empathy, fairness and resilience matter – particularly when leading others through uncertainty.

• Management learning: Leaders who remain connected to their personal story are better able to lead with authenticity, humility and perspective during periods of sustained pressure.

2. Open your mind and commit to continuous learning

Authenticity alone is not enough. Leaders must also remain open-minded and committed to learning.

In my childhood home, intellectual learning and reading were not prioritised; practical skills, manual work and creativity were valued more highly. Despite this, I learned Spanish at 16, English in my early twenties, and now read five to six books a year.

This learning journey has shaped my leadership. It has helped me recognise that people come from very different backgrounds and have very different experiences, which influences how they think, communicate and respond to change.

Stephen Covey’s principle, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”, has become central to how I lead. In uncertain environments, leaders who listen deeply, remain curious and challenge their own assumptions are better equipped to make inclusive and effective decisions.

• Management learning: High-performing leaders actively seek different perspectives, invest in continuous learning and use curiosity as a leadership skill to navigate complexity.