MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Ask Sanyin: How Do You Build for an Unpredictable Future?

Wise leaders invite their teams to help imagine what’s possible.

While the pandemic was a wild ride of uncertainty for me and many of my peers in leadership, it feels like we never regained our footing. Now, we are being hit with events in our industry that we never anticipated, plus a huge wave of hype around new technologies. How can I ground my thinking as we go into another strategic planning cycle with so many unknowns?

So many of us were blindsided five years ago by the global pandemic, which brought home the fact that you can’t predict the future. It’s not only uncertainty that has increased, but also the pace of change sure has — and that makes it hard to get your bearings while also adding more variables to consider. So first, acknowledge that as a leader, you get to live in uncomfortable places that are never going to get comfortable. Uncertainty about the future is one of those places, and you will be a better leader for admitting the limits of your knowledge — and the limits of risk management and probabilistic thinking.

Lean into horizon-scanning and sensemaking practices and consider how to prepare for events and opportunities that may arise. Double down on the people in your organization and empower them to share their perspectives.

About the Author

Sanyin Siang is a CEO coach and leads the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics (COLE) at Duke University. Need advice? Send an email to Sanyin.

Learn more about MIT SMR.