The Enjoyable Challenge of Managing Uncertainty
Stepping into the unknown became a big part of my life when I helped start 47 Degrees. Building and growing a company is full of surprises and things you can’t predict. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if something will work out in the short term. But I took on the challenge, figuring out new ways to solve problems as they came up.
Having a plan and a strategy is fundamental. But these often start as rough ideas in your head rather than detailed plans. When you don’t have all the information, which happens often, you must trust your gut and initial idea to guide you.
Moving to Xebia after working at 47 Degrees showed me how vital these skills are in companies growing fast or changing rapidly. When you’re leading a team, it’s like running a small company inside a bigger one. You’re the boss of your team, even though you’re part of a larger organization. You have a lot of room to try new things and be creative with your team.
This could mean starting a new training program, kicking off a different project, or planning a team event. You get to decide what to do and what not to do.
To wrap up, dealing with uncertainty isn’t just something you have to do in business; it’s a chance to be creative, lead, and grow personally and professionally. Taking on these challenges helps make our projects and teams successful and helps us become more robust and flexible as leaders.
Enjoy the flexibility of not having a set plan, and embrace starting with just a basic idea. It’s like having an open page to sketch on.
