No distractions, just action: Leading with clarity in uncertain times

Fast Company

a day ago

When I was 14 years old, I was the squad leader on a 9th-grade camping trip. It rained the whole time, which meant we weren't just wet and cold; we were also pretty stressed. We cooked our meals over a fire, so I coped with the stress the best way I knew how: chopping wood. Correction: chopping a lot of wood.
My dad had taught me and I enjoyed the tangible physicality of the act. I spent hours chopping log after log so the group could eat a warm meal. I felt proud to serve my squad in a meaningful way.
But soon I developed blisters, which eventually got so bad that I couldn't hold the axe any longer. I went to the teachers' cabin for first aid, and when I returned, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I'd fixated on chopping wood as my contribution; my way of showing strength and responsibility to my squad. Without that, who was I as squad leader?
Unable to fall back on chopping wood, I had to find another way to lead. So I helped set up a tarp, cooked meals, and supported the team in quieter ways. And I taught them how to chop wood.
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Decades later, I still think about this trip frequently—this year more than most. During a year of great economic, political, and cultural upheaval, I find myself looking down at my palms often, the memory of those hard-earned blisters echoing in the tough calluses that formed there.
They remind me of the invaluable lesson I learned that damp, chilly day after returning to camp: There is strength in doing hard things, and there is strength in being vulnerable and leaning on others.
If you're a leader, you've likely earned your share of 'blisters and calluses' navigating recent years. It's clear we won't lead by having all the answers. Instead, we'll guide our teams by staying focused and relying on one another. Here's what's helping me navigate 2025:
STAY FOCUSED ON THE WORK
When political tensions rise or the headlines create whiplash, we return to what remains clear: our purpose. My company, 1% for the Planet, exists to ensure our planet and future generations thrive. That hasn't changed, and it's our responsibility to keep it front and center every day.
Because we've taken the time to lock in our purpose, vision, and values—and because we built a strong strategic plan for 2025—we don't need to reassess. We need to stay the course.
Our model and strategy are built to thrive in times like this. But what if yours aren't? What if you set up camp intending to cook over wood, but find the logs have been drenched by unexpected rain? Then it's time to reorient. Figuring out a way to fuel your team becomes the priority. Get creative, find some camp stoves, and keep everyone fed.
One of the great gifts of purpose clarity is that it makes hard decisions easier. You don't have to second-guess. You just have to keep going.
SPEAK OFTEN AND OPENLY WITH YOUR TEAM
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It is easier to keep a team focused and energized when they feel confident in the plan and how they contribute to it. However, a recent report by Axios HQ found that while 27% of leaders believe their employees are well-aligned with org-wide goals, only 9% of employees agree. Both numbers are low, but the staggering gulf between them speaks volumes about the common communication gaps between leaders and their teams.
I suspect this gulf persists because closing it is challenging in a particular way: you have to be open with your team, even when the chips are down and especially when you have stumbled. How do I know this? Because I've learned this lesson the hard way in my decade-plus at the helm of 1% for the Planet.
Last year, I made some missteps in leadership, which my team quickly identified in our quarterly survey. Thanks to past experience and great coaching, I knew I needed to address their feedback head-on. I directly addressed their concerns, taking responsibility for my mistakes, and then shared our learnings and changes in all-staff meetings. This transparent approach established a foundation of trust, resulting in greater strategic and operational clarity for our team.
LEAN ON ONE ANOTHER
As leaders, we continually walk a fine line between taking decisive action and delegating effectively. Our teams need both and my experience is that it's an ongoing, daily process of discerning what is called for.
Something that's clear time and again is that we lead better—particularly in uncertain, dynamic environments—when we acknowledge that our singular perspective is inherently limiting, and proactively tap into the vantage points of others.
MAKE BUSINESS DECISIONS WITH THE FUTURE IN MIND
Uncertainty is the rule, not the exception. That's why it's so important to make decisions that can withstand cultural and political volatility, rather than just reacting to the moment.
For companies deeply rooted in their values, making purpose-aligned decisions over trend-driven ones becomes intuitive. I'm inspired by 1% for the Planet members who integrate environmental responsibility into their core business, not as a trend, but as a strategic move to future-proof their operations. This demonstrates the courage leaders need today: to think long-term, stay focused, and adapt without losing their center.
I'm a long way from having it all figured out (and I'm fairly certain none of us ever will). However, one of the unexpected gifts of leading through uncertainty is that it teaches us how to learn, grow, and become stronger. The challenges shape us. And if we're lucky, they leave us with the kind of calluses that remind us what we're capable of.