Episode 95: Uncertainty As A Condition

We are back! Welcome to the Workplace Chameleon. After a break, we are very excited to move some conversations forward! 

What if uncertainty isn’t something to get through…but something we’re living in?

In this kickoff episode of a special 8-part series, Dr. Celina Peerman reframes how we think about uncertainty, not as a temporary disruption, but as the ongoing condition of modern work and leadership. Because when we treat uncertainty like a phase, we wait. We wait to decide, to communicate, to move forward.

But what if waiting is the very thing holding us back?

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• Why uncertainty is not a sign of incompetence or weak leadership 
• What uncertainty actually looks like in day-to-day work and teams 
• The patterns leaders fall into when clarity is low (and how to shift) 
• The concept of anchors, what keeps us grounded when everything else is shifting
• A powerful question to help you refocus: What is mine to hold today? 

This episode sets the foundation for the series ahead, where we’ll dig deeper into leading through the unknown, navigating “the gap” between here and there, and building stability without certainty.

We’re also launching the Uncertainty Initiative, a national research effort exploring how people are navigating uncertainty in their work and lives.

If you’re listening in Spring 2026, we’d love your voice in the study:
👉 www.drcelinapeerman.com/uncertainty-initiative

Transcript

Uncertainty As A Constant

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Uncertainty isn't a phase, it's a condition. What if uncertainty isn't something to get through, but something we actually are living in? Not temporarily, not occasionally, but as a constant condition of how work and leadership now operate. Welcome to the Workplace Chameleon. I'm Dr. Selena Pearman. I'm kicking off a special eight-week series focused on uncertainty, what it is, how it shows up, and how we lead through it. Because I think a lot of us are still telling ourselves there's a lot happening right now and we're waiting for things to calm down. But what if this is the environment we're in? Uncertainty is the space between here and there where information is incomplete, outcomes aren't fully known, and yet leadership still has to happen. And it's important for me to say this clearly: uncertainty is not in competence, it's not indecision, it's not even a lack of leadership. Now, could ineffective leadership create uncertainty? Absolutely. But it's not that I don't know how to do what I need to do. It's just that there are uncertain conditions around me. It's not that I can't make a decision about what I need to, but the uncertainty is a condition that's creating a set of uh undecisions that are not clear. It's a normal condition, though, of growth and change. Now, before I go any further, let's just take a second and check in. If you had to describe uncertainty in your life right now with one word or even one emoji, what would it be? Because there is not a doubt that uncertainty affects us. It does and has potential to create stress. It leads to assumptions, it invites worry. And when we don't have answers, our brains are really good at filling in the blanks. I don't know about you, but mine can fill in so much so fast before I even recognize it. So why this matters? I believe that it becomes even more important for leadership because when we treat uncertainty like a phase, we wait. We wait to communicate, we wait to decide, we wait to move forward. Now, some waiting is prudent. But uncertainty isn't interrupting the work anymore. It is the environment of the work. Let me just repeat that again to make sure I am clear and I'm still processing this idea. Uncertainty isn't interrupting the work anymore. It is the environment of the work. So instead of asking when will this be over, we start asking what doesn't change? We're being asked to make decisions while the target keeps moving. We're stepping into roles that didn't exist six months ago and trying to define them as they go. Teams are being told to move faster with less information than they've ever had. Priorities are shifting mid-project, and people are expected to pivot without losing momentum. Leaders are communicating updates that may change again next week or actually by this afternoon. People are being asked to stay focused while everything around them feels in flux. Organizations are planning long term in environments that feel short term. Employees want clarity while leaders are still trying to find it themselves. What does this look like every day? I have the opportunity almost every day to walk into at least one or two organizations. Whether I'm in the work or I'm talking about it from a stage with many different industries and people in the audience, I hear statements like meetings end with more questions than answers. Decisions are revisited more often, not because they are wrong, but because the context changed. People are double checking, second guessing, and looking for reassurance. Communication increases, but clarity doesn't always keep up. There's more activity, but not always more alignment. And leaders are holding space for others while still managing their own uncertainty quietly. There is an emotional layer to this as well. I hear comments like it feels like I'm trying to lead while the ground is still shifting. There's this constant hum of what am I missing? I'm moving forward, but not necessarily confidently. I'm carrying responsibility without full visibility. I'm expected to be steady, but oh, things just don't feel steady. I do see patterns though, that during uncertainty, when leaders aren't choosing a better response, they're tightening control. They're trying to create certainty where there isn't any. And that's where micromanaging escalates. We take more control, get more picky, get more detailed oriented because we're trying to control for something. I've also seen some leaders go quiet, waiting until they have more clarity before they speak. And meanwhile, team members like, I don't know, what's going on? And if you've hung around me long or been in my classes, been in conferences I've spoken at, looked at any of my books, I do love my phrase. When people don't know, they make it up. And if we're not reassuring them what has not changed or what we're working on, or what we're waiting for next, it causes confusion. I do see some leaders default to, well, that's how we've done it because that feels safer. We're just going to keep doing that until we know something differently. And we know that when disruption hits, it doesn't matter how good we were in the past. If we miss openings by staying safe, we may not survive the next round. We have to learn to lead right in the middle of this. Because right now, we're not just managing change, we're managing the unknown within the change. We're asking people to feel confident in environments that just don't feel clear. Because even in uncertainty, a lot still holds steady. Your role still matters. People still rely on you. Your presence still shapes the experience others have. And I believe this is where what I'll call anchors come in. Anchors are the things that keep us grounded when everything else feels like it's shifting. That might be why you do your work, your connection to the work, the purpose, the mission, your routines, just knowing some things stay in routine that you can count on. Even how you communicate can be a grounding piece. And the way you support others can make all the difference. Leaders today don't need to remove uncertainty. They need to create stability within it. Consider this on your hardest day, what do people around you actually need from you? Not when everything is going well, but when things feel off, unclear, or uncertain. Because most of the time, the answer is way simpler than we often acknowledge. The answer isn't ever going to be perfection. It can be consistency, presence, and how you show up. One way I have adopted this in my own life, and a way that I state it is because of uncertainty, our brains want to grab everything. And again, if you've hung out with me at all, know me in any of the capacities, I often refer to the fact that I have 300 squirrels running through my brain at any given point in time. And I have to manage those squirrels. So my brain grabs everything. And then some, especially when things are not known, every question, every unknown, every what if. I also suspect that if you're listening to this out of the population that does, I know we have a great amount of overthinkers. High five virtually, if you're an overthinker. And yet, not everything is ours to carry. So the phrase I use is what is mine to hold today? What do I need to do? And what's within my control? How I show up, how I communicate, how I support others, my attitude, my effort, and yours. There are always going to be some things that are not in my control, decisions made outside of my scope, above me, across from me, out, the timing of the change, what others assume or say, the future. And here's the key. When we spend too much time in what we can't control, we feel overwhelmed. When we come back to what we can control, we feel grounded. Leadership can change, your impact does not. Again, we don't need perfection, but we do need presence. Over the next five weeks, we're launching an eight-part series to dig deeper into this. We'll talk about the gap from here to there, why uncertainty feels so heavy, and add some tools and downloadables that you can practice with in your next team meeting, or when you need a quiet moment to gather your thoughts? I want us to examine how people fill in the blanks and how to lead forward when nothing feels certain. And before I wrap up for this episode, take a moment and think about this. What's one thing you've been carrying that isn't yours to hold? What's one thing that is yours that you want to focus on next? Because when things feel uncertain, there will always be anchors we can connect to that will keep us steady and present. I mentioned this as part of an eight-episode sprint. What happens after that we'll we'll determine later. But I do want to introduce you to a couple of things. We are launching an uncertainty initiative. Please check out the details at www.drselinapearman.com. There will be links accompanying this episode out on the platforms. And this is time connected. So if you're catching this episode at a later date, this initiative initially is running in April, May, and early June of 2026. While most of my content, we love to say is evergreen, it lasts and is not time-bound, we are launching a national survey on how people are navigating uncertainty in their personal and professional lives. I can't wait to share the results with you. So if you're catching this and it is fairly current in the spring and early summer of 2026, please join us in this initiative. I would love to hear what's on your brain in your mind and how you navigate uncertainty as a condition. We will have some follow-up interviews and focus groups. Look for more material from us on this that we are developing, both writing, listening, and with me on stage. Thanks for sticking with us. It is delightful to be back with you in this format. And I hope it's helpful for you too. Until next time, take care. As I love to say in the first 94 episodes of the Workplace Chameleon, keep smashing mental health stigmas and reach out if we can be helpful. All the best.