Leading from the Inside Out: Finding Footing in Times of Extreme Uncertainty

You don’t have to be a business psychologist like me to know that at work, as elsewhere, change is the only constant. What’s happening at work, like our world, is in a continual state of flux, making it essential for leaders to stay thoughtful and responsive.

But there’s expected change, the kind of predictable shifts that are simply part of doing business and there’s extreme change, the kind we’re seeing now. Extreme change usually starts outside the workplace, evolving from forces beyond our control. But extreme change doesn’t stop at the workplace door. 

We are all impacted, in every area of our lives, as societal, political and economic events and norms are recast, or even cast aside altogether. When the world feels unsettled, it’s reasonable to expect elevated stress at work, even if it’s not always obvious.

Extreme Change and Its Impact at Work 

It’s tempting to think of the workplace as separate from the chaos outside. But it isn’t. People carry the world in with them, including its tensions, its grief and its uncertainty. And when we’re worried or worse, it’s challenging to focus on the task at hand.

We saw this with COVID, and we’re seeing it again now. 

Recently, the American Psychological Association’s 2025 Work in America survey, which recorded online responses from 2,017 employed adults, found that more than half of American workers (54%) are preoccupied with job security to the point that it had a “significant impact” on their stress levels. 

This isn’t totally new; in a similar study from 2023, 77% of respondents said they were experiencing significant work-related stress due to external societal factors. 

We’ve all had a rough ride for the past few years, certainly since the pandemic. We know that global disruption doesn’t clock out at 5pm. 

For leaders, recognizing this is essential in shaping strategy that truly supports everyone’s well-being and their ability to do their best work.

Ask yourself if any of these “outside” issues are creeping into your professional domain:

Authoritarianism: It’s on the rise around the world, and your business isn’t immune from its influence. It may start benignly at work with an independent alpha leader or manager who tends to operate in isolation from input or feedback. Mavericks can make a positive and meaningful impact, but they can also inadvertently quash dialogue or motivation. 

The antidote is collaboration. Do you and your managers create opportunities for ongoing communication and connection? Does your staff feel their contributions are sought after and welcome?

Global conflict: Ongoing wars and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are reshaping geopolitical alliances, fueling humanitarian crises, and creating deep emotional and psychological reverberations across communities, including our workplaces. 

Whether employees have personal ties to these regions or are simply absorbing the steady stream of distressing news, the emotional toll is real. 

Leaders may not be able to solve global conflicts, but they can foster environments of empathy and steadiness when the world outside feels anything but.

Human rights: Systems that once upheld fairness and protection in the workplace are being weakened or dismantled. In the past year, we’ve seen rising discrimination and retaliation, especially as long-recognized identities such as race, gender, religion, diverse abilities, and national origin or citizenship are being challenged, or actively undermined.

The weight of what’s happening outside doesn’t lift at the door, even in workplaces that aim to do the right thing.

It is essential to foster an inclusive environment of belonging, not othering. Don’t assume that just because you feel secure at work, your staff does, too. 

Tariffs and other economic uncertainties: Disrupted supply chains and rising costs can lead to hiring freezes and even layoffs, resulting in a sense of job insecurity among your staff. 

Economic uncertainty wears people down in quiet, cumulative ways. Even those with secure jobs face new pressures due to cost-of-living spikes. Ask anyone who has been to the grocery store lately. Worry about these daily realities doesn’t stay at home; it shows up at work.

You can’t control inflation or global markets, but you can shape the experience people have inside your organization. Reinforce what’s steady, supportive, and truly important at work right now. When people feel grounded in truth and purpose at work, they’re better able to weather what’s happening outside.

What More Can Leaders Do About It? 

Understanding how societal, political and economic change impact the workplace is critical in order to sustain an environment at work where people and performance thrive. The moment demands more and different choices. 

1. Replace “we have to consult with legal” with “we have to consult with our humanity.” 

You can help your staff feel more secure and become more adaptable, thus helping them manage extreme change by adopting a human-centric approach, one that prioritizes their well-being as much as it does business goals. 

A human-centric workplace recognizes the unique needs of the individual. This can mean addressing their physical and mental health, helping them create a sustainable work-life balance, and fostering open lines of communication to create trust and belonging. By doing these things, we actively create a workplace where all people feel valued and respected. 

2. Set your emotional default to generosity.

Shared success at work starts with generous leadership. That means sharing what matters most: your time, your resources and your insights. Openness creates space for others to contribute, strengthens collaboration, sparks innovation, and builds belonging. 

Generosity is not about feeling overextended. It’s about intentionally investing in others to build confidence, creativity, and community. In that workplace, people contribute more freely and feel more invested. 

3. Bridge, don’t divide.

Bridging is essential for creating a workplace (and a society) where everyone belongs, countering the effects of “othering” we’re seeing from far too many. Focus on fostering connections rather than reinforcing divisions. 

Take the time to understand different perspectives, actively listen, and find common ground to solve problems together. Bridge-builders prioritize collaboration, embrace diversity, navigate conflict constructively, foster trust through transparency and honesty, create an inclusive environment, and model the behaviors they want to see from others. 

4. Help people find the opening.

Change, extreme or otherwise, may not feel like an opportunity at all. These days, it often shows up as despair or loss. But even in those moments, there is usually a narrow opening. Something new is pressing forward. I invite you to stay open to it and consider what might be trying to emerge.

As a leader, your job is not to have all the answers. It’s to create a work environment where your team can pause long enough to find that opening.

Your Staff Needs You to Make a Choice

Extreme change tests our leadership at every level -- strategic, emotional and operational. It challenges how we listen, how we make decisions and how we show up for people. Today, leadership isn’t just a role, it’s a choice. What will you choose?

**If you'd like to learn more about how to foster a workplace that soars, please check us out at opendooradvisorsinc.com

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**Want to go deeper? If you’re seeing some of these shifts in your own workplace, you’re not alone. The data below reflects broader patterns across the U.S. over the past year. These changes are structural, not personal and they are reshaping how people experience work. 

• On the federal level, a January 2025 executive order, Executive Order 14173: Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, revoked longstanding requirements, triggering a retreat from structured civil rights enforcement.

• The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer reported a sharp decline in employee trust in workplace systems, paired with a rise in public grievance and institutional distrust, reflecting growing doubt that organizations will address unfair treatment effectively.

• As of mid-2025, 29 states have passed laws limiting DEI efforts in public institutions, including hiring and training practices, according to the Economic Policy Institute. 

• The 2025 Q1 Civility Index (SHRM) found that employees at companies with recent layoffs or return-to-office mandates experienced more than twice as many daily incidents of incivility compared to other workplaces. The data suggests that negative behavior among colleagues at work often accompanies organizational disruption.