The Cost of Misreading Silence
During times of uncertainty, we often celebrate leaders who remain composed and grounded. But calm isn’t always contagious.
In one community organisation navigating major change, the senior leader had a high tolerance for ambiguity. She understood that clarity would emerge with time—and she was comfortable holding steady until it did.
What she didn’t realise was that others weren’t sitting in the same place of calm. While she paused to let the fog clear, a key stakeholder—unaware of what was happening behind the scenes—went public with assumptions that were wildly off base. The resulting media story forced the organisation into damage control, derailing important work.
What had felt like calm leadership suddenly looked—externally—like avoidance.
The leader spent the next three weeks in damage control. Reassuring partners. Correcting narratives. Rebuilding trust. The important work she’d been focused on had to wait.
And here’s the thing: she hadn’t misread the system—she’d misread how others would experience the silence.
When ambiguity strikes, it’s easy to focus on managing our own response. But effective leadership means widening the lens. It’s not just about how you tolerate uncertainty—it’s about how you support others to hold it, too.
How Ambiguity-Tolerant Leaders Boost Team Performance
Research by Professor Peter O’Connor and colleagues found leader tolerance of ambiguity was associated with better follower performance outcomes… Leaders high in TOA are perceived by others as being effective, particularly when ambiguous situations are characterised by challenge. (O’Connor et al., 2021, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science)
But a high ambiguity tolerance in two dimensions—Comfort with Ambiguity and Desire for Challenging Work—can become a blind spot in the third: Managing the Uncertainty. When leaders feel steady navigating the unknown, they may underestimate how others are affected by not knowing how long the uncertainty will last or whether it can be resolved at all.
Think of it like walking confidently through fog.
You might know the terrain well—but unless you’re guiding others, they may feel disoriented, anxious, or at risk. They need signals. Not answers, but assurance. Not a map, but a voice saying, “We’re in this together—and here’s what we know right now.”
As the Chinese proverb “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills” suggests leaders can either ignore the uncertainty or harness it to engage with the winds of change.
Spark Clarity and Connection
Something to try this week:
Ask your team: “What feels unclear or ambiguous to you right now—and how are you dealing with it?”
This simple question creates a moment of connection and shared understanding. It can surface insight that would otherwise stay hidden.
If you’re curious about how your organisation navigates uncertainty—or want to explore the Indicator of Ambiguity (IAm) Compass® tool—I’d be glad to talk it through.
