5 minBusiness
Business Leaders Share Strategies for Keeping Teams Aligned During Uncertainty
Twenty-five members of the Fast Company Impact Council outline practical approaches for maintaining team cohesion when the future is unpredictable, from radical transparency to a clear sense of purpose.
When market turbulence and economic uncertainty make the future impossible to predict, the way leaders communicate with their teams can determine whether an organization stays on course or drifts. Twenty-five members of the Fast Company Impact Council, a group of business executives and advisors, shared their go-to strategies for keeping employees aligned when the ground shifts beneath them.
A recurring theme is that teams do not necessarily need certainty — they need clarity. Maril Gagen MacDonald, chief executive of the communications consultancy Gagen MacDonald, compared the challenge to driving through fog. «You don't need to see the entire road ahead. You just need to focus on the stretch right in front of you for now,» she said. Her approach is to help teams identify what they can control and how they will adapt to what they cannot, rather than spending energy on factors beyond their influence.
Several leaders emphasized that honest, frequent communication is essential. Ed Mitzen of the Business For Good Foundation said leaders should share uncertainty openly and frame it as a normal part of business. «Over communication is better than the opposite. People want to feel 'in the know' when things feel unsettled or unpredictable,» he said. Tami Rosen, an executive board advisor to technology and finance companies, pointed to Lloyd Blankfein, the former chairman and chief executive of Goldman Sachs, who left daily voicemails for employees during the financial crisis. The practice, she said, created loyalty, alignment, and focus.
Transparency also has a measurable effect on morale. Chris K Bailey of Bailey Brand Consulting noted that leaders who are honest about challenges — including admitting when they lack answers — demonstrate authenticity and credibility. Inviting employees to contribute ideas fosters a sense of ownership and community, he said, often turning uncertainty into an opportunity for collaboration and resilience.
Others rely on a strong sense of purpose as a stabilizing force. Adam L'Italien of Liberty Mutual Insurance said the company has thrived for over a century by staying grounded in its mission to protect customers, clients, and communities. «Purpose keeps teams aligned when the ground shifts, because it clarifies what matters most,» he said. That clarity empowers employees at every level to experiment, learn quickly, and act on what they learn. The teams that navigate uncertainty successfully, he added, are not always the best forecasters but the fastest and most adaptable learners.
Phillip Haid of Public Inc. described a similar anchor in his firm's code of purpose, values, and behaviors, which is reinforced through daily, weekly, and monthly rituals. «It guides everything we do, especially in uncertain times,» he said. Nora LaTorre of Eat Real credited her organization's alignment on mission with helping it exceed a goal of reaching one million children in 2025, even as schools and foodservice teams faced real uncertainty. Her team operates by a core value called «leave room for magic»: get radically clear on the destination, make sure everyone knows their role, then trust the team to navigate the path.
Structure and mindset also matter. Minna Song of EliseAI keeps her company flat and cross-functional, with few layers between her and anyone else, so information moves quickly and context does not get diluted. Between 80% and 90% of communication runs through public channels, she said, because information that could help someone else belongs where they can find it. Lindsey Witmer Collins of WLCM App Studio focuses on past successes and future opportunities while keeping her core team close, cared for, and financially secure — even absorbing hits to the bottom line herself.
The collective message from these leaders is that alignment during uncertainty is less about having all the answers and more about creating the conditions for trust, focus, and adaptability. Whether through radical transparency, a clearly defined purpose, or a flat organizational structure, the goal is the same: help people understand what matters most right now and give them the confidence to move forward together.
