Navigating “uncertain times” requires courage. When the market shifts, a pandemic strikes, customers bail or a competitor steals share of wallet, you can’t NOT pivot. This is easier said than done for leaders who don’t identify as agile or adaptable. How do you rise to the occasion while battling your fear of the unknown? 

Here are four ways to embrace change in times of uncertainty and tips for staying true to yourself in spite of disruption. 

1. Create while others contemplate

Indecision is the enemy of innovation. In times of disruption, you must decide and execute your ideas quickly. This may be new territory for you if you’re used to contemplating for longer periods of time. Unfortunately, in the time you deliberate what to do, someone else is likely creating the thing you want to make or serving the audience you wish to serve.

Remember, pivots don’t have to be big and scary. Pivoting simply means finding a new angle. You can find a new angle within your existing window of influence or client base. Your pivot could be a small tweak to your current service model, or applying your services to a new audience. 

If change excites you, then go big. Invite massive creativity from your team. Consider the wacky and weird ideas. You never know how your creativity can incite positive industry disruption and put you ahead of the curve. 

2. Always deliver on values

You don’t have to sacrifice who you are or what you stand for when you make a shift. Many leaders fear change because they fear losing themselves or the origins of their business to a new, unfamiliar model. 

You’re used to the way things have always been done or how you’ve always shown up as a leader. But “what got you here won’t get you there.” It will be hard, but you must learn to embrace change and uncertainty. It is what will propel you — and your business — to new heights.

But no matter how or what you pivot, whether it’s your physical products, services, coaching or widgets, your values must always come through in what you do, who you hire and how you treat people. 

Related: If you need help discovering who you are, what you believe in and how to maintain your values while team building, enroll in The Momentum Method program.

Ideally, change will help you discover MORE of who you are as you see your values executed in a new framework. Your values will always ground you. 

3. Act on change that serves your customer AND you

For as much as we advocate for acting on change quickly…not all change is in your best interest. You must consider the pivot in context of a bigger picture.

Does this proposed change burn out your team, but make your customers happy? What team will it take to serve at the level you are proposing? Can you afford that? What will this change do to your mental energy? Your content? Does this change make your customers happy, but not really add revenue — or worse — COST you money?

You should not act on change that ONLY benefits your customer. That is not sustainable in the long run. 

4. Be open to bringing in new people 

Just as “what got you here won’t get you there,” it’s also true that “WHO got you here won’t get you there.”

Not every team member is destined to serve your team in every season. In times of uncertainty, the people who faithfully served you for years discover they aren’t cut out for what change will require of them. 

This is hard, no question. But you have to be willing to let those people go in order to welcome the new, right-fit people who can thrust your business to its next chapter. 

You don’t have to navigate uncertainty alone. Contact us if you need help identifying who you need beside you to get your business to the next level.