5 Ways to Drive Bold Action Amid Uncertainty
In Oct 2025, the editors of Harvard Business Review curated what they described as their favourite tips on leading through and managing uncertainty. The compilation of seven articles covered themes ranging from how to become a more courageous leader to how to communicate with your team when times are tough. Among chosen classics is an article on Now Is the Time to for Courage by Ranjay Gulati Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. It offers nuggets of wisdom that can call up the courage required to build business and sell in these uncertain times
Research by Professors Ranjay Gulati, Nitin Nohria and Franz Wohlgezogen during the 2008 financial crisis, on how some 4,700 public companies had navigated the three previous recessions, it was found that about 9% of these companies were able to emerge stronger than before. This was not only because they managed costs better but also because they simultaneously took calculated risks to invest in growth.
Drawing on insights distilled from years of academic research and real time surveys, Prof Gulati lists 5 ways in which leaders can drive action even in conditions heavily laden with uncertainty
- 1. Create a positive narrative – The stories we tell ourselves and share with our teams become the beacons that hold up spirits and spark courageous action. Reframing uncertainty through positive narratives involves (i) Spotting and converting the fear of the unknown into risks that are clearly described through collection and analysis of data, (ii) Framing the situation in terms of a higher purpose and (iii) Calling upon one’s faith
- 2. Cultivate confidence – Capability building instils confidence in one’s ability to weather challenges. Competence and skill in any domain inspire motivation to work on big, bold goals even in adverse conditions. Three actions help achieve this state: (i) Train deliberately and train all the time (ii) Assemble a large tool kit of proven practices and frameworks (iii) Focus on what’s in your control
- 3. Take small steps – This is at the heart of learning through action. Prof Gulati refers to a strategy that Karl Weick calls sensemaking. Taking small steps to sense one’s way opens us to possibilities and a clear path emerges as we proceed. Sense making through small moves has 3 components: (i) Evaluate the situation dispassionately, devoid of emotions (ii) Let meaning emerge, without seeking to understand everything immediately (iii) Interpret in motion, making sense based on an action and result feedback loop
- 4. Find connection – (i) Turn to trusted allies for inspirational support (ii) Access all resources you have built over time (iii) Accept feedback to refine and improve your strategies
- 5. Stay calm – The state of unruffled calm and constant courage can be attained through (i) Healthy self-care practices (ii) Positive rituals reinforcing confidence (iii) Reframing the situation through a redefinition of what uncertainty means for you and your organization in the long term
Build confidence deliberately. Competence builds courage. Study best practices until they become instinctive, expand your problem-solving toolkit, and focus on what you can control. The more prepared and grounded you are, the easier it is to take bold, self-assured steps.
This captures the quintessence of Mercuri’s Managing by Support framework for sales leaders. Managing by Support enjoins the Sales Manager to simultaneously use the available resources well to achieve results of today, such as conquering day to day uncertainties. It also expects them to develop those resources for results of tomorrow that will usher a brighter future for all
"Rules are not the fetters of genius. They are the fetters of men with no genius"
— Joshua Reynolds, Painter
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