The one thing that most people want most during times of radical change and uncertainty is certainty. A desperate search for it may lead to adversity, but optimistic anticipation will lead to new opportunity. Rather than using anxious energy to demonize the forces of change, use enthusiastic energy to look for new opportunities.

We are experiencing such a time. Many in the workforce are seeing the disappearance of traditional career paths and watching the corporations they work for struggle to identify the best business model to remain relevant. It may appear that no one knows what they are doing, but that is not necessarily true since answers evade us during radical change. The key to finding the answers and certainty we all seek is to keep your eye on the trends, collaborate with those who can keep you informed with honest, objective information, and stay nimble enough to change direction when necessary. Leadership in such an environment requires courage, clarity, a broad perspective, and decisiveness.

Successful leaders will be those who embrace uncertainty and seek a broader perspective by engaging all groups before collaborating to lay a path toward the future. A requisite core skill is a willingness to see things as they really are – filtering out the noise, and engaging discernment to retrieve relevant data and information from all sides. Without picking sides, a leader must find the truth in polarizing, even unpopular positions; then reengage the same groups to collaborate and advance forward. Only a display of confidence and calm will get all sides to follow and remain fully engaged.

Take comfort in knowing that change is constant and that the winners will be those who commit to continuous learning, to an open mind and to adapting by attaining the skills required for the future. Resisting or denying won’t stop anything, but you will run the risk of becoming obsolete. Remain relevant and commit to continued career success.