by Jakub GrzadzielskiLeadership Under Pressure: What Teams Really Need in Times of Uncertainty
The Pressure of Uncertainty on Teams
In my 20 years of international management and leadership coaching, I’ve learned that uncertain times truly test a leader’s mettle. When strategies suddenly shift, but high expectations remain, teams often feel anxious and unmoored. People worry about job security, changing roles, or whether leadership has a real plan. Left unaddressed, this background anxiety can erode focus, motivation, and trust. I’ve seen it happen: creativity flattens, mistakes increase, and top talent starts to disengage. What do teams need most from their leaders in these moments? Not more pressure or corporate spin, but genuine support and steady guidance. Effective leadership in uncertainty is not just about decisions and strategy – it’s about being an emotional anchor for your people. When the ground is shifting, teams instinctively look to their leader for cues, and trust is either reinforced or quietly eroded by what they see. My own experience echoes this: if I stayed grounded and honest through a crisis, my teams remained far more focused and resilient than when I let stress seep into my tone.
Leading with Empathy and Trust (The Human Side of Leadership Psychology)
The psychology of leadership under pressure boils down to a simple truth: leaders must respond to uncertainty as a human challenge, not just a tactical one. Research and experience alike show that it requires empathy, clarity, and the ability to build trust even when no one can guarantee certainty. In practice, this means being open and authentic about the situation. Paradoxically, vulnerability and honesty from a leader can strengthen trust. Admitting “I don’t have all the answers right now” isn’t a sign of weakness – it invites the team to trust you more, because they see you’re grounded in reality and not pretending. In fact, employees handle the truth far better than they handle mixed messages or false optimism.
From a coaching perspective, I often remind leaders that empathy is not optional in tough times – it’s essential. Your team members are human beings with fears and hopes; acknowledging their concerns goes a long way. For example, during a sudden market downturn in my Asia-Pacific division years ago, I made a point of personally checking in with team members. I listened to their worries and validated their feelings before jumping into action plans. That openness and care helped maintain our cohesion. Leadership psychology concepts like psychological safety underscore this: when people feel free to ask questions, express concerns, or even admit mistakes without fear, they feel safe – and a safe team is an engaged team. Especially in turbulent times, creating that safety by responding with patience, encouraging questions, and treating emotions as legitimate is critical. When team members feel their leader is honest, attentive, and consistent under pressure, they actually become more motivated and willing to speak up with solutions. In short, trust and empathy fuel the group’s emotional resilience.
Communicate with Clarity and Honesty
One thing I tell every leader I coach is this: when business challenges mount, your team doesn’t need spin – they need clarity. In uncertain periods, clear and frequent communication is a lifeline. Don’t wait until you have all the information or a perfect plan; share what you know, as soon as you can, with transparency about what is still unknown. Silence or sugar-coating will only breed rumor and fear – as one leadership insight wisely notes, when leaders go quiet, people don’t relax; they fill the void with worst-case assumptions. I learned this early in my career during a merger integration: I initially hesitated to communicate until I had concrete answers to every question. That void quickly filled with gossip and anxiety. I soon pivoted to communicating early, often, and honestly – even if the update was as simple as “Here’s what we know, here’s what we’re doing, and here’s what we don’t know yet.” This kind of openness gives people a sense of direction and agency despite the chaos. It also reinforces that crucial message: we’re in this together.
Clarity in communication also means consistency. Be transparent and factual – acknowledge the challenges without catastrophizing, and highlight any progress or positives (“yes, things are messy and we’re doing good work in areas that matter”). Encourage two-way communication: make space for real questions and concerns, rather than shutting them down. In one coaching case, a department head was facing pushback after a sudden strategy change. We worked on holding a forum for his team to vent and ask tough questions. He practiced active listening and resisted the urge to defensively sugar-coat the situation. The result? Many team members later told him that just being heard and getting straight answers – even “I don’t know yet” answers – made them feel more confident in leadership. Transparency, steady messaging, and open dialogue build trust faster than any slick presentation could. As the Harvard Business Review put it, stick to the facts and avoid speculation; consistency in message and frequent check-ins keep everyone aligned on what can be controlled.
Modeling Resilience and Calm
Emotional resilience is contagious. In turbulent times, a leader’s demeanor sets the tone for the team’s mindset. I’ve found that if I remain calm and solution-focused under pressure, my team catches that mindset; if I panic or appear defeated, they magnify that too. Psychology research calls this “emotional contagion,” and it’s very real in the workplace. That’s why modeling resilience is one of a leader’s most powerful tools. Practically, this means maintaining a steady presence: show up each day with calm and clarity, even when you’re under immense strain. Of course, leaders are human – I’m not always calm on the inside – but it’s crucial to regulate your own stress responses so you can project stability for your team. In tough moments, consistency builds trust and helps your team focus on what they can control. I recall a product launch crisis in which everything went wrong at once. I deliberately took a deep breath, gathered my team, and spoke in a measured tone about the immediate next steps. By concentrating on actionable items (the things we could control) and keeping my voice steady, I helped the group channel their anxiety into problem-solving. One of my engineers told me later that my composed attitude “kept him from losing it” when servers went down.
Leading by example under pressure also means demonstrating adaptability. When circumstances change, acknowledge it and adjust course openly – this shows resilience in action. During the pandemic period, for instance, I had to scrap a carefully planned strategy for a client project. I convened the team and candidly said, “Our original plan isn’t going to work under these new conditions. Here’s what we’re learning and how we might pivot – and I want your input.” By doing this, I signaled that adapting was not a failure but a necessity, and that we were all learners in uncharted territory. My willingness to change course helped the team stay engaged and innovative. It also reinforced a valuable lesson: we can’t always control the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Leaders who stay flexible and positive in the face of setbacks nurture a culture of resilience. Your team sees that it’s okay to adapt and that mistakes or detours won’t break your resolve. Over time, this builds a confident, can-do spirit: people trust that, together with their leader, they can navigate whatever comes next.
Maintaining Trust Under Pressure
Trust is the currency of leadership – and it’s never more precious than in times of uncertainty. In my coaching sessions, I often ask leaders, “How are you actively maintaining your team’s trust right now?” When everything is in flux, trust can falter quickly if people sense inconsistency or insincerity. To maintain trust, be the same principled leader in stormy weather that you are in calm seas. This means aligning your words and actions steadfastly. If you promise to update your team every Friday, then do it without fail. If you profess to value your people, show it through your decisions (for example, avoid knee-jerk cuts or blame games that contradict that value). As one leadership expert noted, teams thrive when they trust that their leader’s values won’t disappear under stress. Authenticity and integrity are felt more than heard – even small gaps between what you say and what you do can shake a team’s sense of safety.
Another key trust-builder is availability. In high-pressure stretches, I make sure to “walk the floor” (or hop on quick video calls in today’s remote world) more than usual. A leader’s presence – being visible, approachable, and listening – is often more reassuring to a team than the most polished all-hands meeting. I learned this while leading a sales team through a major organizational restructuring: my calendar was overflowing, but I carved out time each day to check in informally with a couple of team members. That consistency and accessibility spoke volumes. Employees take comfort in leaders who remain predictable in their behavior, even when the environment is unpredictable. By being steady, honest, and caring in every interaction, you signal that your team can count on you no matter what. And if trust does get strained – maybe you had to enforce a tough policy, or you dropped the ball on a promise – don’t ignore it. Address it directly: own any mistakes, apologize if needed, and show how you’ll make it right. In my experience, a recovered trust (through accountability and follow-through) often emerges stronger. When people see you take responsibility and not hide from missteps, it deepens their respect. Maintaining trust under pressure ultimately comes down to this: say what you mean, do what you say, and show you care.
Real-World Insights: Lessons from the Field
Over two decades, I’ve navigated plenty of uncertainty myself and alongside other leaders. A few stories stand out that taught me what truly engages teams under pressure. One was during a global supply chain crisis when I was an operations manager. Our strategy had to change almost overnight, and my team was scrambling. I convened an emergency meeting and, rather than barking orders, acknowledged the stress everyone was under. I said, “I know this is a lot to take in, and some of you are worried. I am too. But here’s what we do know and here’s our plan for the next 48 hours.” To my surprise, hands went up with suggestions and even offers to work over the weekend – the team rallied. Later, a veteran team member told me that my candid empathy and clarity at that moment made him “want to go the extra mile.” The lesson: people don’t expect their leader to have a magic wand, but they need to feel understood and informed. By combining honesty about challenges with a clear short-term plan, I had given the team both emotional validation and a sense of control.
Another lesson comes from a client I coached last year, a senior technology leader who was facing a painful strategic pivot. He worried that telling his team the full truth about the company’s troubles would demotivate them. In coaching, we explored the alternative: involving the team in shaping the new strategy. He took a leap of faith and held a frank town hall: he explained why the strategy had to change, admitted it was okay to feel disappointed, and then invited ideas on how to succeed in the new direction. The result was remarkable – not only did his team come up with creative solutions, but their trust in him grew. One engineer told him, “Thanks for treating us like adults. We’re behind you.” This confirmed something I see repeatedly: when you trust your team with the truth and give them a voice, they repay you with commitment. That team ended up hitting the revised targets because they were truly engaged in the mission, despite the upheaval.
These experiences reinforce that, in uncertainty, how you lead is often more important than the latest plan. The leaders who succeed aren’t necessarily the ones with the fanciest strategy; they’re the ones who communicate, care, and keep their team’s trust bank full.
Three Practical Tips for Navigating Uncertainty
In closing, here are three practical, experience-tested tips I give to leaders who are steering their teams through uncertain times:
- Communicate Early, Often, and Honestly: Don’t wait for perfect information – share updates frequently, even if they’re partial. Be transparent about challenges and clear about what’s being done. Consistent communication prevents rumor mills and shows your team that you respect them enough to keep them in the loop. Remember, silence and spin erode trust; clarity and honesty build it.
- Show Up with Empathy and Support: Recognize the human side of upheaval. Encourage your team to voice concerns and ask questions, and truly listen when they do. Small gestures – like checking in on how people are coping, or acknowledging the extra effort they’re putting in – have an outsized impact on morale. Make it clear that it’s okay to feel uncertain. By fostering psychological safety and showing you care, you keep people engaged and willing to give their best, rather than mentally checking out.
- Model Calm and Flexibility: Your team takes cues from you, so strive to be the calm, steady presence they need. Manage your reactions and focus on solutions, not panic. At the same time, demonstrate adaptability – if plans must change, show that you can change with them and still move forward. When you remain grounded, honest, and consistent, even in high-pressure moments, your team feels safer and more confident. They’ll be more likely to stay motivated and pull together because they trust that you won’t abandon your values or your people when the going gets tough.
Leading under pressure is never easy. But by communicating with clarity, leading with empathy, and steadfastly building trust, you give your team the anchors they truly need in times of uncertainty. In my journey, these approaches have consistently turned chaotic pivots into moments of shared purpose. And when your team feels supported and engaged, there’s no uncertainty you can’t face together.
About the author
Jakub Grzadzielski is a Leadership & Executive Coach and Organizational Development Consultant. ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Marshall Goldsmith Certified Executive Coach.
For over two decades, he has worked with senior leaders and executive teams across industries – helping them unlock clarity, inspire alignment, and lead with purpose. His coaching focuses on leadership effectiveness, culture transformation, and strategic communication, combining evidence-based frameworks with a deeply human approach. Co-author of “Compliance Cop to Culture Coach” (2023).
Website: jakubgrzadzielski.com