Be Brave. You Can Do It

In a moment as convulsive as this one, it’s tempting to proceed with caution—especially if you’re a leader whose every decision is freighted with consequence. With geopolitics, the economy, and society in a constant state of upheaval, risk aversion seems like a perfectly sensible response. As Ranjay Gulati notes in this issue’s cover story, under such volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) conditions “most people feel a loss of control, triggering fear, which often leads to paralysis (the so-called freeze response) or retreat (flight).” But you can’t simply trim costs and maintain a holding pattern until the crisis passes—not if you want your organization to thrive.