Don’t Be Scurred: Why Leaders Must Embrace Volatility as a Strategic Advantage
Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, molded by it…
When Tom Hardy delivered this quote as Bane in the film The Dark Knight Rises (2012), it gave me chills. As a self-described movie buff, I must have watched this scene play out at least 20 times, and it still holds the same effect. Not because of the cinematic bravado or that it introduces us to one of the most memorable moments in the Batman/Dark Knight lore, it is because these words are a metaphor for leadership in turbulent times. Many leaders adopt adversity as a temporary posture, a branding exercise, or a strategic pivot. But true transformation demands more than adaptation. It requires immersion.
If you were to ask me what separates average, good, great, and exceptional-tier strategic leaders, I would say this: the exceptional ones do not just manage volatility. They harness it. Don’t close out the screen when I tell you this. Are you ready? Throw away the traditional models of risk assessment where the goal is to avoid turbulence. Instead, create infrastructure and modeled thinking where you embrace agility, adaptability, and change so that you can move through disruption with precision.
Right now, volatility is all around us. Tariff escalations, proxy conflicts, and rising protectionism are reshaping global markets. During the first quarter, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025 identified armed conflict and economic fragmentation as top global risks. Since then, we have watched the U.S.–China trade relationship continue to destabilize supply chains. Closer to home, the US isn’t just dealing with the fallouts of such decisions; there are also the interconnected stressors of technology’s amplification of political and cultural wars that demand a different kind of leadership. What’s my point? Don’t wait. Lean in. Companies like Siemens, Microsoft, and GE are showing that volatility can be an accelerant. Each has used uncertainty as a catalyst to streamline portfolios, divest low-performing assets, and reinvest in core innovation. Rather than waiting for the market to stabilize, they are building adaptive systems that thrive in motion. You can as well, and here’s how to do it.
Treat your strategy as a constantly evolving and living entity. Static planning models are too slow. The best organizations I’ve seen in action are using quarterly loops to keep strategy responsive and maintain a continuous system of resilience. They recognize that the goal is not to predict the future but to build an organization capable of thriving in multiple futures. As a Harvard Business Review article notes, success in volatile environments depends on integrating prediction, adaptability, and resilience as a collective tapestry. How?
Replace annual planning with quarterly strategy loops. Each cycle, ask: What changed? What did we learn? What will we adjust?
Use scenario thinking to rehearse multiple “what if” pathways. Preparing for different futures improves decision speed. I recommend Slalom’s adaptive strategy framework to drive this exercise in adaptability.
Reframe failure as intelligence. Create psychological safety so lessons are shared quickly and adjustments happen before competitors react.
Recognize that culture is your first operating system. In high-trust environments, uncertainty activates ownership. In low-trust cultures, it triggers withdrawal. Culture is not an HR initiative. It is infrastructure. Every decision, risk, and innovation travels through it. In times of disruption, silence becomes noise. Leaders must overcommunicate clarity. Coherence matters more than constancy. People do not need leaders who pretend to be unshakable. They need leaders who are clear. Refer to my TIMELY Communication Method, and don’t forget:
Communicate clearly and often. Silence creates confusion. Overcommunicate priorities, rationale, and expectations.
Model coherence, not constancy. People need alignment and clarity, not unshakable leaders.
Measure culture. Track trust, engagement, and belonging as early indicators of adaptability.
Don’t exclude equity and inclusive innovation from your strategy. Every pivot has equity implications. Who gets a voice, who bears the cost, who benefits? Equity strengthens both fairness and foresight. This makes equity not just a moral accessory to strategy, but a stabilizer. Recent research shows that culturally and demographically diverse teams detect weak signals earlier and enhance problem-solving capacity, particularly under conditions of pressure and rapid change. Don’t allow the “illegal-DEI” distraction to limit your infrastructure. Be intentional in leveraging diverse teams (note, I didn't say go rogue). Reports show that the business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion not only holds but grows stronger. That being said:
Build and invite representative decision teams. Include cross-functional and demographic diversity in rapid-response groups. Speed without inclusion creates awareness gaps.
Audit impacts in real time. Use dashboards and feedback to track how changes affect different groups.
Communicate with empathy. Be transparent about what is changing, what is not, and the reasons behind these changes. Shared purpose sustains trust.
Volatility is not the enemy here--neither is change. It is the validator. It tests whether your culture can move as fast as your vision. It tests whether your leadership can convert uncertainty into trust. The goal is not to normalize instability. The goal is to build systems that flex without fracturing. It is a moment to test and purify what you have and how you operate. If I can share a reflection and word of encouragement from my morning meditation and Bible reading, I’ll offer up this: Much like David, your greatness lies dormant until your Goliath shows up. So whether you lead a city, a company, or a coalition, this is your Goliath moment. Answer the call. You got this.
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article. Did I miss anything? Do you have personal experiences or observations to add? Let me know! As always, I hope this helps! ✌🏾 + 🫶🏾
P.S. If you found this useful, contact me to discuss how I can equip your organization and leaders to scale performance, partnerships, capital, and enterprise impact.
Footnotes is a newsletter dedicated to exploring insights, trends, and strategies to help leaders navigate change and future-proof their organizations. It is also a platform where I share ideas that encourage thoughtful dialogue. Your feedback is always valued. The views expressed here are solely my own and do not represent those of any affiliated organizations. Thank you for reading and engaging with this work.
