Choosing momentum over certainty

Many leaders wait for certainty before taking a step. But clarity rarely appears in advance — it’s built through movement, feedback, and reflection.

In coaching, I see this tension constantly; bright, capable people holding still because the “right” path isn’t yet visible. But waiting for clarity can quietly become a way of staying safe. Real clarity is rarely found by thinking harder — it comes from doing differently.

Learning how to “do differently” isn’t about rushing into action; it’s about finding safe ways to experiment and learn. A recent Harvard Business Review article by Amy Bonsall and Alison Meister highlights how ‘design thinking’ helps leaders move through uncertainty, by experimenting their way forward and replacing the illusion of perfect plans with curiosity, feedback, and iteration.

When I work with leaders navigating uncertainty, we often explore questions like these through different frameworks:

• Agile thinking: What’s the smallest viable next step you can test without full commitment?

• Design thinking: How might you prototype one element of your idea to gather quick feedback?

• Systems thinking: What patterns might shift if you change just one small part of the system?

• Behavioural science: What friction or fear is keeping you from taking the first step, and how could you reduce it?

• Leadership perspective: What decision, made today, would create momentum — even without certainty?

Navigating ambiguity isn’t about waiting for the fog to lift — it’s about learning how to walk through it thoughtfully.

And sometimes, the first step forward is the clarity you’ve been waiting for.

Full article: “Use Design Thinking to Navigate Ambiguity” — Amy Bonsall & Alison Meister, Harvard Business Review, Oct 2025. https://hbr.org/2025/10/use-design-thinking-to-navigate-ambiguity