Things aren’t easy at StoneAge right now, and with all the uncertainty, it’s hard to know exactly what happens next. The war in Iran directly impacts our primary markets: refining and petrochemicals. Our customers are delaying maintenance and postponing capital purchases, which means we’ve had to make tough decisions and implement cost-cutting measures, too.

All of this brings uncertainty to our team, and naturally, they want to know what happens next. They are asking how long I think this will last and if there will be any more changes. But what they’re really asking is, “Am I going to be okay?” And as the CEO, people look to me for that answer, and as much as I want to assure them, I can’t.

Why? Because I don’t know how long the conflict in Iran will last, and it appears that no one does. That also means I don’t know when plants will start investing in maintenance again or when our customers will deploy capital. And as much as I would like to, I can’t predict the future, nor can I make the uncertainty go away.

When Reassurance Goes Too Far When You Don’t Know What Happens Next

Being an optimist and recovering people pleaser, situations like this brush up against my identity. I want people to feel safe. I want them to sleep well at night and come to work each day focused on what they can control: doing a great job and being a great teammate. I don’t want them worrying about what comes next, so my natural inclination is to reassure them.

But over the years, I’ve learned that this can come back to bite me. I’ve spun situations to be more positive than they are, and I’ve communicated more confidence than I actually felt because I wanted people to believe in our future and to feel safe. And for some reason, their belief in my words made me feel better, too.

These reassurances come from good intentions. We care about our people, and we want them to feel better about whatever is going on. But underneath our good intentions is the fact that their fear makes us feel uncomfortable. It’s difficult to sit across from someone worried about their job and future, knowing we can’t fix it and feeling like we are to blame for all their fears.

Can I Let Someone Leave Still Feeling Uncertain?

Recently, we had to make some tough decisions that impacted all of our employees in one way or another. And the most common questions I get are: “What happens next? Will there be more changes like this in the near future?”

And the most truthful answer I can give is this: “Based on everything I know today, I don’t expect that, but I can’t promise what circumstances might require six months from now.”

When I answer this way, people probably leave my office still worried, which sucks, because they want to know what happens next. I want everyone who comes into my office to leave feeling better. But I also can’t promise something I have no idea I can keep.

I’ve learned that false reassurance might feel good today, but if I am wrong, it borrows credibility from tomorrow. People will remember what you told them, even if circumstances change down the road. I would rather have someone leave my office wishing I’d been more reassuring than believing something I never actually knew to be true.

I Don’t Need Certainty to Lead Confidently

There’s a misconception that leaders should have all the answers and are always supposed to project confidence. But I think that what we might call “executive confidence” is actually a performance of certainty. We portray this confidence because we think that’s what we’re supposed to be, even when we don’t know what happens next.

While we should never perform certainty, there are things you can share with more confidence. During these tumultuous times, I am sharing how we will respond to curveballs, including what we’re watching, what we’re prioritizing, and what’s within our control. I’ve led this company through the 20028-09 financial crisis, COVID, industry disruptions, and plenty of other things I couldn’t predict. And every time, we faced reality, made difficult decisions, and adjusted or pivoted when we needed to.

There’s Another Way to Get This Wrong

Because I care deeply about being a transparent CEO (and because it’s part of my personality), I can also overshare. Being honest that I don’t know what’s going to happen doesn’t mean my employees need to hear every scenario my leadership team is considering or every fear running through my head. That’s just transferring uncertainty to my team and calling it transparency.

But silence creates its own problems. When leaders stop communicating because we don’t have all the answers, people fill in the blanks themselves, usually with negative stories. Instead, give your team clarity: share what you do and don’t know, what you’re watching, and what you plan to do. And if something changes, tell them.

What Can I Actually Promise?

I wish my foresight were 20/20, just like my hindsight. If it were, this job would be a hell of a lot easier, especially because the decisions I make affect people I care deeply about. But I can never eliminate uncertainty…I’ve been doing this long enough to know that.

What I can do is be honest with myself, make decisions based on the best information I have, tell people what I know, admit what I don’t, and change my mind when the facts change. And, even though this is hard for me, I can sit with the discomfort of someone else also being uncomfortable. I don’t have to fix it and I don’t have to know what happens next; I just have to talk through it with them.

How all of this will unfold and what it means for StoneAge…I don’t know, and I wish I did. And I want people to trust me because they know that I will tell them what I do know, what I don’t know, and that I’ll be transparent when something changes. That’s a promise I am comfortable making.

Keep the Conversation Going

If this resonates with you, my book, Talk with Trust, goes deeper into how to navigate the hardest conversations, especially when you don’t have the perfect answer, and the truth may be uncomfortable. Buy Talk with Trust here.

I also bring this work directly into organizations through the Talk with Trust Leadership Experience. If you’re interested in bringing it to your leadership team or organization, book a 20-minute call with me, and we can talk about what you’re facing and whether it’s a good fit.

Learn more about my speaking here.