Embracing the unknown: 5 secrets for thriving amid change

Running a business is a bit like playing chess in a wind tunnel. You can plan your moves meticulously, but the moment you reach for a piece, a gust of reality knocks everything sideways. In today’s fast-changing world, the only constant is uncertainty. Markets shift, competitors pivot, world leaders lose their collective shit with each other, and customer needs can flip overnight.

And yet, some leaders navigate uncertainty with ease, sailing off to new horizons while others are left staring at the wreckage of their last strategy. The secret? They don’t plan for specific changes—they build a business that can adapt to any change.

That’s where Pia Lauritzen’s “Five Shades of Uncertainty” comes in. They’re a practical guide to understanding the unpredictable and turning it into your competitive edge, offering actionable ideas to help you not only survive but thrive amidst the constant whirl of change.

Let’s take a look.

1. Wonder: “Why do we do this?”

Every significant shift starts with a moment of wonder. Not the starry-eyed, “what if” kind that leads to endless daydreams, but the blunt realisation that maybe—just maybe—things could be better. This is the stage where leaders start questioning the status quo. It might be a founder pondering whether the original business model still holds up, or a CEO wondering if the company’s vision truly aligns with today’s market realities.

What to do:

• Step back and reflect: Set aside time (maybe with a cup of tea or during a brisk walk) to ask yourself: Why does your company exist beyond the bottom line?
• Spark genuine dialogue: Get your team together for a no-holds-barred brainstorming session. Let everyone air their big “why” questions.
• Embrace the mess: Understand that wonder doesn’t yield neat answers immediately—it’s about opening up the conversation. When you allow wonder to simmer, you create fertile ground for breakthrough ideas.

Wonder is the seed of innovation. Without it, you risk missing out on transformative insights. So, the next time you find yourself stuck in the daily grind, pause and ask: What’s the bigger picture here?

2. Scepticism: “Are we sure this is what we want?”

After the initial spark of wonder comes scepticism—the voice in your head that says, “Hang on, is this really the best path forward?” This isn’t about being negative; it’s about realism. Scepticism forces you to check your assumptions and weed out ideas that sound great in theory but might falter in practice.

What to do:

• Test your assumptions: Rather than charging full speed ahead on a new strategy, ask hard questions. Does your current model really suit the market?
• Foster healthy debate: Create an environment where your team feels free to say, “I’m not convinced,” without fear of stepping on toes. Encourage discussion and challenge ideas constructively.
• Avoid analysis paralysis: While it’s important to question and probe, don’t let scepticism freeze you in place. Strike a balance by setting deadlines for decision-making and sticking to them.

For instance, imagine your business is considering a shift to an entirely digital customer experience. Healthy scepticism would prompt you to review data, gather customer feedback, and run small pilots before a full rollout. This way, scepticism saves you from potential missteps while ensuring you remain agile.

3. Curiosity: “What Is possible?”

If scepticism is about questioning the current state, curiosity is about exploring future possibilities. It’s that electrifying “what if” moment when you start to see opportunities where others see obstacles. Curiosity is the engine behind innovation—encouraging you to experiment and explore without fear of failure.

What to do:

• Ask bold questions: Encourage your team to let their imaginations run free. Ask, “What if we could solve this problem in a completely new way?”
• Run experiments: Treat each new idea as a mini experiment. Test, learn, and iterate quickly. Small-scale pilots can reveal insights that lead to big wins.
• Create a learning culture: Invest in training, workshops, and cross-functional projects. When people are encouraged to explore, they bring fresh perspectives that can redefine your business.

Curiosity keeps your business ahead of the curve. Just look at Silicon Valley, where a culture of continuous questioning has led to innovations that revolutionised entire industries. In a similar vein, if your organisation nurtures curiosity, you’re more likely to uncover disruptive ideas before your competitors do.

4. Doubt: “What if It all goes wrong?”

Even the most forward-thinking businesses experience doubt. It’s that nagging feeling in the back of your mind when the plan doesn’t seem quite right. While doubt might seem negative, it’s a critical checkpoint—it forces you to consider potential pitfalls and prepare for them.

What to do:

• Identify potential weak spots: Use doubt as a tool to pinpoint vulnerabilities in your strategy. Ask, “What could derail this plan?”
• Encourage honest feedback: Build a culture where team members feel safe sharing their uncertainties. Often, a frank discussion about what might go wrong can prevent major setbacks.
• Prioritise concerns: Not every doubt requires an immediate solution. Focus on those issues that could have the most significant impact on your business and address them head-on.

Take a scenario where a new product launch is in the pipeline. Doubt might highlight risks such as market readiness or technical glitches. Addressing these concerns through rigorous testing and contingency planning ensures that the product not only launches smoothly but also sustains long-term success.

Doubt is not a sign of weakness—it’s an essential part of robust planning. Embrace it to fortify your strategies against unforeseen challenges.

5. Creativity: “How do we create our future?”

After all the questioning, exploring, and testing, creativity is where the magic happens. It’s the stage where ideas converge, and you begin to shape a future that leverages uncertainty as an advantage. Creativity transforms the insights gathered from wonder, scepticism, curiosity, and doubt into a tangible plan for progress.

What to do:

• Foster cross-team collaboration: Encourage different departments to come together and brainstorm solutions. Some of the best ideas emerge when diverse perspectives collide.
• Prototype relentlessly: Don’t wait for perfection. Launch small prototypes, gather feedback, and refine your ideas.
• Celebrate bold moves: Recognise and reward efforts to innovate—even if they don’t all hit the mark. A culture that values creative risk-taking will continuously generate fresh ideas.

Think of it this way: a business that masters creativity isn’t merely reacting to change—it’s actively shaping its future. Consider industries where companies have reinvented themselves time and again, not because they were forced to, but because they chose to see opportunity in chaos.

Making a difference: Why it matters

In a world where PWC say that nearly 40% of CEOs admit they’re uncertain if their companies will look the same in a decade, standing still is not an option. The businesses that will thrive are those that build resilience and agility into every layer of their operations.

By regularly asking “why” and “what if,” they discover new revenue streams and pivot quickly in response to market disruptions. Their culture of curiosity leads to rapid experimentation, and when doubt surfaces, they address it head-on, refining their approach until they hit on a winning formula.

This isn’t about being reactive—it’s about being proactive. It’s about building a business that is always learning, always adapting, and always one step ahead of the next challenge.

The leader’s role in building a responsive culture

Ultimately, the most critical element in navigating uncertainty is leadership. As a leader, you set the tone for how your organisation perceives and responds to change. Here are a few practical tips:

• Lead by example: Show your team that you’re not afraid to ask tough questions or admit when you’re uncertain. Your openness will encourage others to do the same.
• Create a safe environment for discussion: Make it clear that every question and concern is valuable. When your team feels heard, they’re more likely to contribute innovative ideas.
• Embed feedback loops: Regular check-ins and honest evaluations help catch issues early and keep your strategy flexible.

Celebrate every step forward: Recognise both the small wins and the bold experiments. This reinforces a culture that sees uncertainty as a growth opportunity rather than a setback.

Dance with the wind

Building a business that thrives on uncertainty isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions and acting on them. With Pia Lauritzen’s framework, you now have a practical roadmap: from wonder to scepticism, through curiosity and doubt, and finally into creativity.

After all, the real competitive advantage in today’s world isn’t about predicting the future perfectly—it’s about being prepared to transform every unexpected moment into your next breakthrough. And if you’re already playing chess in a wind tunnel, then you’re bound to be a few moves ahead.

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Written by business coach and leadership coaching expert Dominic Monkhouse. Contact him to schedule a call here. You can order your free copy of his book, Mind Your F**king Business here.