Creating Space … To Lead Through Uncertainty

Leading With VOICCE® Series.

I've had to face some big decisions in my career. And they've come with a lot of pressure and a lot of expectation. If I am being honest, most of the pressure and expectation came from within. There was a lot at stake. Future investments would be decided, valuable time would be dedicated, and of course, the team and the organization's reputations would be impacted, one way or another. This was the nature of the role - innovate, explore, test, learn. It sounds fun and exciting until one thing becomes clear - we will ALWAYS be making these decisions with a degree of uncertainty. The outcome is not guaranteed. Yet and still, we press on - we lead. 

As someone who craves certainty, it never occurred to me just how much uncertainty was naturally built into my role. I was fueled by my passion for discovery, innovation, and transforming the customer experience. We got to do some really cool stuff. But even as I think back on some of the biggest decisions of my career, I can feel my heart race. We wanted it to work. We believed it could work. But the outcome was NEVER certain. 

More often than not, fear of "getting it wrong" would cause me to overthink, live in heightened anxiety, lose sleep, and delay making a decision. I can remember leaving emails unread far too long - I was in a state of paralysis. It felt like the weight of the company rested on each individual decision. The truth is - I was never going to learn, until I took action. That's the value of hindsight.

Here's what I learned about the process.

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When I Felt Uncertain, I Returned to the Mission

When anxiety would spike, and I felt the weight of “getting it right,” the only thing that grounded me was returning to the mission. Why are we pursuing this opportunity? How does it align with our mission, vision, and goals? And what is the best possible outcome for our stakeholders? By refining my focus and grounding in this clarity, I learned to focus on what mattered most.

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We Stopped Shrinking the Possibilities

The greatest wins often came from our most audacious ideas. But stress has a way of shrinking imagination. Decisions begin to feel binary. Good or bad. Right or wrong. Under pressure, what looks like “logic” is often fear dressed up as responsibility. We default to what feels safe. Predictable. Contained.

The shift happened when we allowed ourselves to step back and ask - what else might be possible here? This was an important pause. It gave us just enough space to consider that the first two options weren’t the only two. Every time we widened the lens, we made better decisions.

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We Were Never Alone - We had Resources

Once we had a vision, built on our ideal outcome, and we had a wide range of options, the next step was to dig deeper. What insights will help us choose? What datapoints can support the path forward? What provisions need to be considered? Most importantly, how could we enlist the insight and support beyond our core team? 

One tool I have always been a huge fan of is a SWOT analysis - it's holistic and objective. Whenever we pulled these pieces together, we were then in a much better position to choose with clarity.

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Choice Is Nothing - Without Commitment

Jay Shetty said something that has always stuck with me:

Far too often we spend all our energy trying to choose between door A or door B. In reality, our time is best spent making the best possible decision we can with the information we have, and then investing our energy into MAKING it the best decision possible. 

I'm paraphrasing. But here's what that meant looking back. Once we'd grounded in the mission, and thoughtfully assessed the situation, it's time to lean in. 

Make one sound choice. Then focus the energy on leaning into the strengths. Strategize around the opportunity. Resource the weaknesses. Prepare for the threats. 

For our team, if we spent all our time deliberating between the choices that we didn't make, we'd compromise the success of the one we did. 

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Practice Has Increased My Tolerance For Pressure

Over time, I have learned that making a choice never has to be tied to a permanent fate. Each choice, executed with commitment, becomes a stepping stone. Another building block of information on the path forward. I've learned I don't need to be 100% certain when I choose - only thoughtful and intentional. If new insight emerges or circumstances change, I can pivot. 

I'm no longer working within a large team. And in some ways, the work feels even more urgent - even more high stakes. 

This summer I will celebrate four years of stepping into the most uncertain career journey I've ever taken. Thanks to 20 years of training, I've finally embraced uncertainty as a natural part of the process. 

Choices will always come with a degree of uncertainty. Uncertainty doesn’t disappear. But our relationship to it can change.

If this tension feels familiar, and you don’t want to navigate it alone, let’s connect.

Thank you for your presence. I am so excited to continue this journey of Leading with VOICCE® with you!

With gratitude, Tian.

Tian Philson Leadership, Wellness & Mindset Coach | Creator of the VOICCE® Decision Making & Empowerment Framework | Helping leaders go inward so they can go upward.