208. Ambiguity to Action: Tensions and Trade-Offs of Leadership and Communication

Amidst constant change, clear communication is the key to navigating uncertainty.

How do you communicate with others when you’re confused yourself? For Rob Siegel, leadership isn’t about avoiding uncertainty, it’s about embracing the clarity that ambiguity can bring.

"What if ambiguity is the new normal?" asks Siegel, a venture investor and lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business. From rapidly evolving AI to ratcheting geopolitical tensions, every day brings a “crisis du jour,” he says. “I may like it, I may not like it. That doesn't really matter, but I've gotta get my team through it."

In his latest book, The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies, Siegel explores how leaders today are “living in dualities,” caught between managing existing processes and adapting to emerging disruptions. “The sooner we get comfortable with [change] in the sense of ‘I don't have to like it, but I can deal with it,’ then [we can] lead our teams and give them the calm to know they can get through this.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Siegel and host Matt Abrahams explore how to communicate effectively amidst constant change. From preparation strategies for spontaneous speaking to building trust through candid conversations, Siegel offers practical tips for communicating with clarity when nothing is certain but change.

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Episode Reference Links:

Robert Siegel • Rob’s Book: The Systems LeaderEp.35 Leading From The Hot Seat: How To Communicate Under PressureEp.37 Be Better: How Communication Catalyzes Business Transformation •

Connect:

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Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction (00:57) - Adapting Leadership for Uncertainty (02:02) - Systems Leadership and Cross Pressures (03:24) - Communication and Context (04:10) - Framing Complex Ideas (05:05) - Innovation vs. Execution (06:55) - Leading Through Ambiguity (08:17) - Short-Term vs. Long-Term Focus (11:28) - Balancing Strength and Empathy (14:10) - Leadership with Humanity (15:26) - Engaging Students Effectively (18:44) - The Final Three Questions (22:25) - Conclusion