How C-Suite Leaders Deal With Uncertainty

The study shows that these external forces add to the growing complexity of business leadership. A report from Boardroom Insiders shows new leadership duties have made the CEO role far more complex and unpredictable than it once was.

From AI and supply chain disruption to new workplace norms and governance requirements, leaders must navigate a growing number of external and internal headwinds. So how do executive leaders make decisive and impactful decisions in this uncertain environment, and how do they ensure their organisations also possess this capability?

Here are five methods we are seeing executive leaders implement to enhance their own and their organisation’s capacity to navigate uncertainty.

Leveraging Gen AI for enhanced decision-making

Executives have for some time now, relied on data analytics and predictive modelling to inform their decision-making, derive insights from trends, and better anticipate potential challenges and opportunities.

However, we are increasingly seeing executive leaders across the C-suite combine this with Gen AI. In particular, they are using Gen AI as a strategic-level assistant to solve complex problems and advise on decisions. This is so prevalent that Gartner found nearly half of CEOs used Chat GPT in their jobs last year, with increased intelligence and analysis cited among the top three benefits. 

According to IBM, 43% of CEOs now use Gen AI to guide their strategic decisions, reflecting a growing reliance on this technology to navigate uncertainty and maintain agility in a rapidly changing business environment.

Building agility with empowered teams

Executive leaders foster agility by empowering teams to make rapid decisions and maintaining flexible strategies, enabling quick responses to changing conditions.

This creates a sense of ownership and accountability, enabling teams across the organisation to make quick decisions without waiting for top-down directives. In addition to organisational agility, higher employee engagement typically results in 21% higher profitability, better retention, and increased productivity.

Adopting a framework for collaborative decision-making

Alongside AI-informed decision-making, collaborative decision-making enables executive leaders to embed checks and balances when making strategic decisions. Done correctly, this approach ensures thorough risk-mitigation and provides certainty in uncertain situations.

Executive leaders face challenges that require collaborative decision-making, which, if not done correctly, can lead to consensus rather than diverse insights. By adopting a systematic approach to collaborative decision making, executive leaders can release creative thinking and diverse debate, creating more certainty in their strategic decisions.

This model involves scoping the problem, voicing hypotheses, and defining outcomes clearly whilst identifying the data and consultations required to inform the decision.

Embedding adaptability through succession

Boards and executive leaders are increasingly focusing on succession planning in response to talent shortages and to drive leadership resilience throughout organisations. 

Robust succession plans, particularly those with both technical and managerial leadership tracks, provide leaders with a greater selection of skills and abilities when making new appointments. This means they possess the internal talent and skills to meet new challenges as and when they appear.

Setting a clear organisational purpose

A well-defined purpose serves as a ‘North Star,’ guiding decision-making and priorities when conditions are uncertain. It helps executive leaders and teams stay focused on long-term goals rather than reacting impulsively and without direction to short-term fluctuations. In uncertain times, this clarity helps allocate resources effectively, ensuring efforts align with core values and mission.

What’s more, a strong sense of purpose can foster resilience among employees, keeping morale high during challenging periods. When individuals understand how their work contributes to the organisation's overarching mission, they are more likely to stay engaged and committed, even when faced with obstacles or setbacks.

Finally, a clear purpose helps cut through complexity. During uncertainty, organisations face a flood of choices. Having a strong purpose allows executive leaders to evaluate options quickly and choose paths that align with the organisation's mission and values, reducing indecision.

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