Having trouble keeping up?

I wrote this sentence in March 2025: Right now, can ANYONE accurately forecast the way the economy, geopolitics, or AI will move in 2025? NOPE.

Any edits needed for August 2026? NOPE.

How can each of us lead and communicate in interesting times?

First, make friends with the discomfort of uncertainty. No leader likes to say, “I don’t know.” But sometimes, “The path forward isn’t yet clear, but here’s where we are starting” is the only proper response.

Winging it is not a winning strategy this year! Thorny questions from employees, customers, media, and analysts will be thick on the ground. I ask leaders impossible questions for a living! In a session with me, we’ll practice the scariest questions and we’ll workshop responses. You can learn not just how that awful discomfort of taking a nasty question feels, but how to effectively manage it. Take the time to learn how to handle any question that may come.

Second, embrace clarity. Say what you can say as clearly as you can say it. Leaders often react to discomfort by saying so many more words than necessary. Word salad doesn’t help anyone.

Handling tough questions is essential. Finding the capacity to pause, consider, and select the right answer, so that you don’t babble, is a skill that must be built through consistent practice.

Third, communicate more, not less. Every new development brings so many questions. Even if you clearly communicated your strategy to your team last week, the news this week may raise more questions. Tell them again.