Dr. Tracy Brower is a PhD sociologist studying happiness, work-life fulfillment and the future of work. She is the author of The Secrets to Happiness at Work and Bring Work to Life. She is the vice president of workplace insights with Steelcase and a senior contributor to Forbes and Fast Company. Tracy’s work has been translated into 22 languages and she is an award-winning speaker. You can find her on LinkedIn, at tracybrower.com or any of the usual social channels.

Leadership is more challenging today than ever because of key issues we face and the trends that are shifting the world and our work.

But it’s possible to be a leader who influences, inspires and drives results even amidst the turmoil.

Difficult Times

There are plenty of issues making leadership difficult. The talent shortage is real. Both developed and developing countries have declining birthrates which means we’ll face difficulties in attracting, retaining and engaging the best and the brightest for many years to come.

In addition, people are reporting record levels of deterioration in their wellbeing from depression and anxiety to stress and struggle. And people are increasingly afraid. In a global study by Edelman, between 88% and 61% of people reported fears of everything from information war and nuclear war to climate change, economic issues and geopolitical issues. These realities mean that people in the workforce may be fragile and in need of work experiences that are both restorative and meaningful.

Essentially, it’s a VUCA world today one that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. And VUCA conditions can guide the leadership that people want—and need. The saying is apt, “Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” You’ll want to be the leader who can captain the ship both when the waters are calm as well as when they are rough.

Here’s what you can do to provide the most impactful leadership.

Lead for Stability

The world is increasingly volatile, but work can be a place that people get a sense of routine, predictability and stability.

As a leader, you can contribute to stability by setting clear expectations for people’s work. When you let employees know what you’re counting on and what you need from them, you provide for a sense of focus—which is helpful amidst confusion and volatility.

You can also make a significant positive impact by managing how you show up. New research finds that people prefer leaders who are consistent and predictable. In fact, even a poor leader who is consistent is preferable to a leader who is erratic.

Interestingly, the primary way people learn is by watching others, listening to them and experiencing their behavior and interactions. And people tend to focus on leaders especially—what you say, what you do and the choices you make are guides for others (even if you don’t necessarily mean to have that level of influence).

You can contribute to a sense of stability by being consistent and treating people fairly. Of course, you’ll have good days and bad days, but when you demonstrate calm and continuity, you’ll help people who may be struggling with the world they perceive to be volatile or out of control.

Lead for Purpose

Another way to be a powerful leader is to give people a sense of purpose. This is especially helpful in a world that people perceive to be uncertain.

The information overwhelm is real and people experience overwhelm because of the frequency of information, but also because of the urgency of information and its negativity. The news always seems to be ‘breaking’ and there is statistically more bad news than good news reported today compared with previous decades.

But your leadership can be a beacon when you create a sense of purpose for people. You can do this by sharing the big picture the mission, vision and goals you have for your department or your organization and by ensuring that people understand how they can make a unique contribution to the whole.

You can also give others a sense of purpose when you ensure that outcomes are connected with people. Work is more meaningful when employees understand how their efforts connect with the work of their teammates and ultimately to the final customer and makes a difference in human lives.

When people have a sense of purpose, they tend to be healthier and perform better. And when organizations have a sense of purpose, they tend to deliver better outcomes for all their stakeholders.

Lead for Learning & Teamwork

Another element that makes the world challenging today is its complexity. Major issues are nuanced and more difficult to understand especially when we’re presented with sound bites or minimal detail in news feeds.

In the face of this complexity, you can empower people by providing for plenty of learning opportunities. Feeling incapable or ineffective in the face of problems can degrade wellbeing. But leaders who encourage people to grow and provide resources for development help employees to address issues and develop their capabilities to handle things. 

In addition, complexity drives the need for teamwork because team members can bring multiple skills and perspectives to address problems and innovate new solutions. Great leaders help build relationships among team members, remind people how their work matters to others and design work for shared goals and mutual effort.

Lead for Clarity

There is a lot of ambiguity today as well. Things move fast in terms of technology, changing landscapes of work and even geopolitical issues. We rarely know what’s coming next and it’s increasingly difficult to predict.

At the same time, neurologically, we shy away from ambiguity and prefer to know what’s coming next. We crave certainty. And while you can’t provide certainty as a leader (no one can), you can provide clarity.

Share plenty of information with people about what you know and the direction you’re headed. Keep people up to date about the questions you’re addressing and the challenges you’re facing so they can be part of how you cope and thrive as a team, department and organization.

A Bright Future

Importantly, research shows that during a crisis, people are likely to trust women. This is according to a study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly. Dubbed “the trust advantage” women tend to perform especially well in situations that demand excellence in relationship-building, teamwork, decision making and motivation.

In a VUCA world that is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, you can be an inspiring, impactful leader in empowering others, creating the conditions for wellbeing and driving great results.