By Erik Norman 

There is no such thing as a time of certainty. And yet, today’s climate feels especially noisy: tariff-related price pressures, global tensions, inflationary costs, and looming concerns over potential supply chain disruptions tied to trade policy shifts. It’s enough to make even the most seasoned business leader want to pause, to take a wait and see approach. But here’s the truth: uncertainty isn’t new, it's just showing up in a different outfit. Our job as leaders is to navigate growth despite uncertainty. The difference between those who grow and those who stall isn’t the presence or absence of uncertainty—it’s how they use it and navigate through it.

I talk with business leaders all the time who are trying to make the “right” decision—waiting for clarity, more data, better timing. But often, in the waiting, opportunity slips past. Uncertainty doesn’t mean “don’t move.” It means “move wisely.”

What You Focus On Expands

If there’s one principle I’ve seen play out repeatedly in my own leadership, it’s this: what you focus on expands. When leaders fixate on risk, they start seeing it everywhere. When they focus on possibility, creative solutions start surfacing. This isn’t wishful thinking: it’s about orientation.

Focusing on value, service, innovation, and momentum doesn’t erase the challenges. But it frames them differently. It trains your team to look for what’s possible instead of what’s standing in the way.

The companies that thrive aren’t the ones waiting to be rescued by predictability. They’re the ones actively seeking new ways to grow and new ways to deliver value to their clients—regardless of the noise around them. They’re the ones investing to make their companies and capabilities better despite uncertainty because they recognize that uncertainty also creates opportunities.

This doesn’t mean that you ignore the risks; that’s naive. It means you intentionally direct your attention toward what you want to build, not what you want to avoid, and focus your energy and resources toward achieving those goals.

In the Middle of Difficulty Lies Opportunity

Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” And while this could be a good quote for a coffee mug, it’s also deeply true. The most transformative innovations don’t typically happen during easy times where everyone has clarity. They emerge when businesses are forced to think differently, when conventional paths are blocked, and new ones have to be forged.

Uncertainty is a forge. It can either burn away fluff and surface-level ideas and force us to get clear on what really matters, or it will burn up your creativity and energy through indecision and complacency. That’s why some companies crumble while others pivot, evolve, and accelerate. Navigating uncertainty isn't about courage or taking risks, it’s about being anchored in purpose and remaining open to possibility.

Deliver Value—Always

When markets face uncertainty or costs rise or competition gets fierce, there’s a temptation to turn inward: protect margins, pause hiring, pull back on marketing or product development, or hold back on capital equipment purchases. But long-term success comes from staying outward-facing. Investing in outward facing actions—when evaluated with intention and alignment to your strategy—could unlock new potential. The right investment, made wisely, can open doors to new capabilities, new markets, and new value streams.

Keep delivering value. Keep solving problems for your customers. Keep investing in what makes you useful, relevant, and trusted. The companies that show up and deliver when others pull back are the ones people remember—and rely on—when the dust settles.

Value is your lighthouse. It keeps your company pointed in the right direction, regardless of the storms around you.

Develop Resilience—Because You’ll Need It

Resilience isn’t just about bouncing back. It’s about standing strong when things don’t go as planned, and moving forward anyway. It’s a muscle, and like any muscle, it only grows through pressure and repetition. Use uncertainty to build this muscle.

This is where strong teams shine. The people who can sit in the tension of “we don’t know exactly what’s ahead” and still bring their best every day—those are your difference-makers. Cultivate that mindset across your organization. Encourage people to try, adjust, and try again. Build a culture where forward motion matters more than perfection.

Resilient leaders and companies don’t just survive uncertainty. They grow through it.

Don’t Abandon Strategy—Adapt It

Here’s where some leaders get tripped up: they either abandon their strategy at the first sign of turbulence, or they stick rigidly to their plan even when circumstances have fundamentally changed. A good strategy provides direction, but flexibility is what gets you where you need to go. When uncertainty shows up and the landscape shifts, don’t throw out your strategic plan, but be willing to adjust your route. Stay true to your vision and values, but be open to new tactics, partnerships, or business models.

Your strategy should be based on deeper insights about where value can be created and how you’re uniquely positioned to create it. These fundamentals don’t usually change just because external conditions become uncertain. If anything, uncertain times often validate the importance of having a clear strategic direction.

But tactics—the specific actions you take to execute your strategy—should absolutely adapt to changing conditions. Maybe you need to adjust your timeline, shift resources between initiatives, or find new ways to reach your customers. Maybe you need to accelerate some plans or purchases and pause others. The key is making these adjustments in service of your larger strategic goals, not in place of them. Be patient about your long-term direction but urgent about adapting short term actions to current realities.

Clarity Comes From Motion

Navigating growth requires clarity, especially when uncertainty is high. And if you want clarity, you have to move forward. Not recklessly. Not reactively. But decisively. Progress always beats perfection and the best way to navigate uncertainty is to move, learning and adjusting as you go.

Market leaders didn’t earn their position by standing still in uncertain or difficult times. They leaned in. They made calculated moves aligned with their strategy, vision and values. They invested in key initiatives and capabilities that supported their long-term strategy and set them apart from the competition. They developed resilience and focused on opportunities more than obstacles. And, because they kept moving, they learned faster, adapted quicker, and built trust when others hesitated.

So if you’re staring down uncertainty right now, don’t wait for conditions to be perfect. Make the best move you can with what you know. Then take the next step. Grow.

Erik Norman is president of swissQprint America and draws on years of hand-on leadership experience within the print industry where he has guided globally diverse teams through both growth and challenges. He shares practical and proven insights designed to help others achieve their best. His experience and perspectives are also shaped through his board roles at both for and non-profit organizations as well we through executive peer group facilitation.