Leading Ambiguity

At its simplest, ambiguity is a lack of clarity. Some thought leaders say that ambiguity is the centre of creativity, and should therefore be embraced. The reality is that people generally aren’t comfortable with it. This leads to frustration and, in the organisational context, heightened anxiety for leaders and employees. The challenge for leaders, given this reality, is determining what we can be clear about in order to enable agile organisational responses. Leaders who are able to deal with ambiguity can effectively cope with change, shift gears comfortably, decide and act without having the total picture, and are able to navigate risk and uncertainty. Those with a strong ability to deal with ambiguity are often described as adaptable, flexible, and comfortable with uncertainty.