The future is going to be Rough
May 29, 2025
One of the questions I am asked most frequently by senior leaders is this: “What is happening out there, what are other people doing?”
It’s not hard to understand why. The next two years are going to be rough. Economic headwinds, political instability, wars, the relentless march of AI and technology, not to mention societal and environmental pressures. For leadership teams already grappling with complexity, the sheer level of uncertainty can be overwhelming.
So what are the smart businesses doing?
Whatever you do, do not panic
There are plenty of things to panic about. But panic wastes time, burns energy and clouds decision-making. Leaders who stay calm, curious and focused will be the ones who steer their organisations through the storm.
A good CEO I know described it as “making peace with ambiguity”, the ability to acknowledge uncertainty without becoming paralysed by it. It is not easy, but it is essential.
Divide your business into core and other
This is the time to be ruthlessly clear about what matters. What is the heart of your business, the thing that generates value today and will continue to do so tomorrow?
Protect and prioritise it. Then look at everything else, innovation pilots, vanity projects, non-core expansions. If they are not adding value now or clearly building for the future, stop them. Not forever, but for now.
.Invest in your future, but with discipline
If you were going to make an investment in your core business, still make it. Now is not the time to stop investing in what works, it is the time to invest with precision.
Every cloud has a silver lining
Times of turmoil are also times of opportunity. Competitors will falter. Customers will rethink what they value. Great people will be looking for new homes. The organisations that survive and thrive will be those that stay calm, focus on what matters and move quickly when the time is right.
This is the time to understand what your business really is. What do you do best? What drives most revenue? Who are your best people?
When you can answer those questions then focus on the core. How can you grow it? Where are the gaps in the market? Where does it make sense to invest time and money?
The next two years are going to be rough. They are going to be filled with uncertainty. The best leaders are staying brave, staying focused and staying human.
