Leading Through Uncertainty - 2nd edition

Jude Jennison is a provacateur, thought leader, international speaker, author and Horse Assisted Educator who specializes in leading out of her comfort zone. She combines 16 years’ senior leadership experience in IBM with executive leadership, coaching and team development skills, as well as the pioneering approach of working with a herd of horses to help leaders become more confident in leading through the uncertainty of our time. She is also the author of Opus: The Hidden Dynamics of Team Performance, also published by Practical Inspiration (9781788602600).

Table of Contents

Foreword by Gina Lodge of the Academy of Executive Coaching

Introduction

Part One – The context of uncertainty

Chapter 1 – My path of uncertainty

An introduction to how I came to work with horses and how they taught me about uncertainty.

Chapter 2 - Human beings vs super-computers



Explore how technology has driven rapid pace of change and update it to include information on how businesses adapted rapidly to the pandemic
Recognize the emotional impact of technological change and how what is possible logistically is not always viable emotionally

Chapter 3 – Emotional engagement



Understand how emotions have a significant impact on our ability to lead change and why we need to pay attention to them
Update on how the pandemic required us to pay attention to emotional health more than ever and how it needs to continue

Part Two – I am not a machine!

Chapter 4 - Stress and overwhelm



What causes stress and overwhelm in organizations and the impact it has
How do you balance what is achievable vs what needs to be done?
Update on the ongoing mental health issues in continued uncertainty

Chapter 5 - Fear and polarization



Desire to hang onto what is known, understood and can be controlled
How do you shift to a culture of hope, opportunity, exploration and co-creation?
How do you navigate differences of opinion that seem far apart?

Chapter 6 - Pain and trauma



Pain and trauma are part of the human condition and must be included in leadership and not brushed over
The pandemic was a global traumatic event leaving people reeling. How do we recover at a time of continued uncertainty?
How do you empathize with the suffering of others without it derailing organizational results?

Part Three – Lead from the front

Chapter 7 – Create the framework



The importance of clarity in a world of chaos and uncertainty
Providing clarity when you don’t have all the answers
Focus on what you know, rather than what you don’t
The importance of allowing creativity within a framework

Chapter 8 – Adaptability and agility



How do you adapt on a knife edge? How do you respond quickly with certainty when there is none?

Chapter 9 - Stay with the discomfort of uncertainty



The impact of ambiguity, uncertainty and a lack of clarity
What wants to emerge in the stillness and discomfort of uncertainty?
Stay connected through dissonance and have compassion for others

Part Four – The humanity of change

Chapter 10 - Listen well



Deep listening beyond the words How do you create the space for dialogue in a culture of fast paced change?

Chapter 11 - Connect and support



Stay connected through differences of opinion
How do you create an environment where everyone feels seen, heard and understood?

Chapter 12 – Build trust



Why trust is a choice
How it gets eroded in uncertainty and how to rebuild it

Part Four – Who’s got your back?

Chapter 13 - Stay grounded in the midst of chaos



The challenge of finding stillness for creativity to emerge
Compassion, self-care, mental health
Include some of the content from “Be human” chapter in 1st edition

Chapter 14 - Build your support network



Expand your network to create mutual support
Ask for help from your network

Chapter 15 - Lead from the heart and soul



Aligning the head, heart and gut
How do you continually modify your behaviour to meet an ever-changing, fast-paced environment?
How do you make time for structure and framework in an ever-changing environment?

Acknowledgements

About the author

Index