How Strong Leadership Succeeds in Uncertain Times: Five Key Steps

Ling Zhang
May 9
4 min read

Learn how effective leadership empowers businesses to navigate uncertain times

To everything there is a season... — and in today’s global business climate, the winds of change are swirling fast and fierce.

In 2025, the world finds itself at the mercy of policy shifts and economic tremors. With the United States raising its average tariff rate to a century-high of over 20%, and countries like China responding with tariffs as steep as 125%, we are deep in a season of uncertainty. Yet, such turbulence is nothing new under the sun. As with past eras of upheaval, true leadership is not merely about surviving storms — it’s about charting a course through them with clarity, courage, and conviction.

So, how can leaders shepherd their businesses toward success when the trade winds are unpredictable? Here are five key steps to develop your strong Leadership in uncertain times.

Discover how leadership empowers businesses to thrive and succeed in uncertain times. — Five Steps to Leading Through the Storm: Guiding Business to Succeed in Uncertain Times

1. Discern the Landscape: Analyze with Wisdom

Leadership begins with seeing clearly — not only what’s in front of us but also the contours of what lies ahead.

In this climate, leaders must go beyond tracking costs. They must assess their relative competitive position across geographies, product lines, and supply chains. How do your competitors fare in this new tariff-laden terrain? Can your company maintain — or even grow — its margins? Will demand for your offerings endure or erode?

Ask not only, “What is happening?” but, “What does this mean for us?” Wise leaders understand their positioning like a shepherd knows the paths of his fields.

2. Choose Your Posture: Strategy as Stewardship

Once the fog begins to lift, a leader must choose a posture — not to react in panic, but to act in purpose. The report, Tariffs and global trade: The economic impact on business, by McKinsey offers four powerful strategic stances:

Drive and Invest if you are well-positioned — like a builder ready to raise new structures in fertile land.
Capture and Protect if you’re stronger than rivals but facing weaker demand — prune and tend your vines, not uproot.
Reset and Reengineer if demand is strong but your costs are rising — refine your tools and trim the fat.
Rationalize and Refocus if the storm hits both demand and position — retreat to higher ground where your roots run deepest.

The art of leadership lies in discerning which season your business is in — and acting accordingly with prudence and vision.

3. Pressure-Test Your Path: Build on Rock, Not Sand

Even as we commit to action, leaders must stay flexible. Decisions that seemed wise yesterday may need reshaping tomorrow. Ask:

At what tariff level does our factory relocation make sense?
Are we positioned to act if thresholds are met, or are we waiting too long?

Like a captain studying the stars and tides, leadership calls for scenario planning. Don’t chase every wave — instead, set guiding markers that let you know when to pivot.

4. Lead with Anchored Values and Clear Purpose

In the rush of trade negotiations and geopolitical noise, leaders must not forget the heart of leadership: people, purpose, and values.

Whether negotiating supplier terms, shifting production, or narrowing market focus — keep your people informed, engaged, and inspired. Lean into your mission. A vision rooted in service, integrity, and innovation will carry your organization farther than any tariff wall can contain.

5. See Crisis as Catalyst: Reap from the Rubble

As the McKinsey article suggests, there are silver linings even in upheaval. Those who dare to lead with boldness can:

Enter new markets,
Innovate product lines,
And build resilient supply chains that outlast the noise.

History rewards those who turn adversity into opportunity. The same winds that scatter can also sow.

The Shepherd's Charge

Uncertain times do not ask for perfect leaders — they call for present ones. Those willing to ask hard questions, to move when needed, to stand firm when appropriate. Let us lead not with fear, but with foresight. Not with reaction, but with resilience.

For in every storm, the faithful leader becomes not just a navigator — but a light. Make you be the light in the storm.

Stay tuned for the next blog, and subscribe to the blog and o ur newsletter to receive the latest insights directly in your inbox. Together, let’s make 2025 a year of innovation and success for your organization.

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