25/09/2026
Why Your Organisation Needs Uncertainty (Not More Control)
Most leaders treat uncertainty as a risk to eliminate. Margaret Heffernan—the renowned entrepreneur, author of "Willful Blindness" and "Embracing Uncertainty," and Professor of Practice at University of Bath—makes the counterintuitive case that embracing uncertainty is actually the competitive advantage we need right now.
Here's what stood out from this conversation:
❌ "Many businesses still operate under a nineteenth-century management mindset"
❌ "Leaders make their people fail by insisting on control"
❌ "If we outsource work to a machine, we lose our capacity to do it ourselves in the future"
✅ "Creativity is a fundamental component of leadership, and we need it now more than ever"
✅ "Leaders need to be comfortable not knowing what will happen in the future"
✅ "Often, there may well be a mutually assured stalemate where young people don't think their employers want creative thinking"
In an era of AI acceleration and unprecedented change, the ability to navigate ambiguity without panicking isn't just valuable—it's essential. But here's the catch: if everything becomes certain, if we outsource every decision to algorithms, if we stop practising independent thinking—we lose the very capabilities that made us leaders in the first place.
As Margaret puts it: "Our brains cannot multitask, and we are only capable of focusing on one thing at a time." This means the companies winning tomorrow won't be those with the most predictive models. They'll be those with cultures open enough to explore, reflect, and adapt when the unexpected happens.
Some questions for leaders reading this to reflect on:
• Does your team feel safe voicing ideas without fear of judgment?
• Are you measuring success by eliminating uncertainty—or by building capacity to navigate it?
• What thinking are you outsourcing to machines that you should be preserving? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
