Following an insightful session on regulation earlier in the month, the Insurance Institute of Gauteng (IIG) continued its Wisdom Wednesday series on 16 September with a thought-provoking leadership masterclass… in partnership with Santam.
Presented by Preesha Persad, Senior Manager: Talent, Leadership & Performance, the session explored what it means to lead through ambiguity and complexity when leaders may not have all the answers.
How do we lead when the answer simply isn’t clear?
Today’s leaders are increasingly expected to make decisions in environments characterised by uncertainty, volatility and complexity, often without having all the information they would ideally like.
And, as the session highlighted… uncertainty can be uncomfortable.
Look at it this way: when we encounter ambiguity, our brains naturally seek certainty. Under pressure, this can contribute to common leadership traps such as analysis paralysis, where we continue seeking more information beyond the point at which a decision needs to be made; false certainty, where we manufacture confidence to appear decisive; confirmation bias, where we favour information that supports what we already believe; and groupthink, where maintaining consensus becomes more important than surfacing difficult truths.
The objective is not necessarily to eliminate the discomfort that comes with uncertainty; it is to learn how to function effectively despite it.
This becomes particularly important when we recognise that not every problem is the same. Some problems are complicated but knowable: rules exist, processes are defined and expertise can guide us towards an answer.
So, what does it take to lead effectively in the grey?
One of the most memorable messages from the session was the importance of developing a mindset that is hungry, smart and humble.
- Be hungry to continuously understand what is happening around you, to learn more, experience more and remain curious.
- Be smart, but recognise that being smart extends beyond theory, qualifications and textbooks. Effective leaders keep their ear to the ground and their finger on the pulse of their organisation and industry. They are “book smart”, but they are also “street smart”.
- Be humble enough to acknowledge that you will not always have the answer and be willing enough to engage with the people who may.
Effective leaders surround themselves with diverse perspectives. Sometimes the person who sees an old problem differently may not be the most senior or experienced person in the room.
This requires a shift towards collaboration and co-creation, while also trusting our people enough to create spaces where teams can think, ask questions, challenge assumptions and experiment responsibly.
Leaders are also role models. How they respond to uncertainty, how willing they are to learn and unlearn, and how they approach challenges gives those around them permission to do the same.
Mindset, however, needs to translate into capability.
The conversation also reinforced that leadership requires more than IQ alone. Emotional intelligence, agility intelligence and cultural intelligence become increasingly important when leaders are navigating relationships, change and workplaces made up of different cultures, experiences and generations.
Ultimately, leading in the grey is not about having all the answers. It is about developing the curiosity to ask better questions, the judgement to make decisions when information is incomplete, the flexibility to adapt when circumstances change and the humility to draw on the knowledge of others.
The IIG extends its sincere appreciation to Preesha Persad and Santam for an engaging and thought-provoking masterclass, and once again, to all attendees and industry stakeholders who continue to participate and contribute to these important conversations.
As workplaces and industries continue to evolve, the ability to navigate ambiguity will remain an important leadership capability. The answers may not always be clear, but curiosity, adaptability, continuous learning and a willingness to draw on the perspectives of others can help us navigate the grey.
Ambassador Education – Insurance Institute of Gauteng
Strategic Change Manager – Absa Insurance
