Description
Book SynopsisIn a world of disruptive change, uncertainty is the buzzword on everyone’s lips.
Disruptive change can throw everything into chaos unless leaders and teams have the skills to lead confidently through it. How do you lead complex change without burning out, disconnecting or losing your team?
Welcome to the age of Leading Through Uncertainty, where emotional responses to challenging situations are part of the human experience.
Drawing on numerous interviews with leaders from all walks of life demonstrating leadership in action, this new edition of the classic book on leadership and uncertainty has been revised and updated for the post-pandemic age. It explores these fundamental questions:
- How do you lead confidently and competently in uncertainty?
- How do you create human connection in a performance-driven culture?
- How do you adapt rapidly to technological advances and disruptive change without losing yourself or your team in the process?
Trade ReviewJennison’s style is gentle, compassionate but assertive and her book is a brilliant mix of story-telling, anecdote and critical perspectives. * HR Director *
Table of ContentsTable of Contents
Foreword by Gina Lodge of the Academy of Executive Coaching
Introduction
Part One – The context of uncertainty
Chapter 1 – My path of uncertainty
An introduction to how I came to work with horses and how they taught me about uncertainty.
Chapter 2 - Human beings vs super-computers
- Explore how technology has driven rapid pace of change and update it to include information on how businesses adapted rapidly to the pandemic
- Recognize the emotional impact of technological change and how what is possible logistically is not always viable emotionally
Chapter 3 – Emotional engagement
- Understand how emotions have a significant impact on our ability to lead change and why we need to pay attention to them
- Update on how the pandemic required us to pay attention to emotional health more than ever and how it needs to continue
Part Two – I am not a machine!
Chapter 4 - Stress and overwhelm
- What causes stress and overwhelm in organizations and the impact it has
- How do you balance what is achievable vs what needs to be done?
- Update on the ongoing mental health issues in continued uncertainty
Chapter 5 - Fear and polarization
- Desire to hang onto what is known, understood and can be controlled
- How do you shift to a culture of hope, opportunity, exploration and co-creation?
- How do you navigate differences of opinion that seem far apart?
Chapter 6 - Pain and trauma
- Pain and trauma are part of the human condition and must be included in leadership and not brushed over
- The pandemic was a global traumatic event leaving people reeling. How do we recover at a time of continued uncertainty?
- How do you empathize with the suffering of others without it derailing organizational results?
Part Three – Lead from the front
Chapter 7 – Create the framework
- The importance of clarity in a world of chaos and uncertainty
- Providing clarity when you don’t have all the answers
- Focus on what you know, rather than what you don’t
- The importance of allowing creativity within a framework
Chapter 8 – Adaptability and agility
- How do you adapt on a knife edge? How do you respond quickly with certainty when there is none?
Chapter 9 - Stay with the discomfort of uncertainty
- The impact of ambiguity, uncertainty and a lack of clarity
- What wants to emerge in the stillness and discomfort of uncertainty?
- Stay connected through dissonance and have compassion for others
Part Four – The humanity of change
Chapter 10 - Listen well
- Deep listening beyond the words How do you create the space for dialogue in a culture of fast paced change?
Chapter 11 - Connect and support
- Stay connected through differences of opinion
- How do you create an environment where everyone feels seen, heard and understood?
Chapter 12 – Build trust
- Why trust is a choice
- How it gets eroded in uncertainty and how to rebuild it
Part Four – Who’s got your back?
Chapter 13 - Stay grounded in the midst of chaos
- The challenge of finding stillness for creativity to emerge
- Compassion, self-care, mental health
- Include some of the content from “Be human” chapter in 1st edition
Chapter 14 - Build your support network
- Expand your network to create mutual support
- Ask for help from your network
Chapter 15 - Lead from the heart and soul
- Aligning the head, heart and gut
- How do you continually modify your behaviour to meet an ever-changing, fast-paced environment?
- How do you make time for structure and framework in an ever-changing environment?
Acknowledgements
About the author
Index
