The 7% Club

Episode 49: 8 Strategies to Lead Through Uncertainty with Clarity and Strength

• Jenny Stilwell • Episode 49

Share episode

8 Strategies for CEOs to Navigate Challenges with Clarity and Strength

Every business hits tough times - whether it’s market uncertainty, cash flow pressure, team disruption, or all of the above. What matters most is how you show up as a leader when it happens.

In this episode, I share eight proven ways to guide your business and your team through difficult periods with clarity, composure, and confidence. These are the same strategies I’ve used (and continue to use) in my own business experience - to stay focused, keep teams engaged, and uncover opportunities, even in challenging circumstances.

In this episode you’ll learn how to:

  1. Reassure and Redirect Your Team – Why silence breeds uncertainty and how honest, proactive communication builds trust and focus.
  2. Protect and Strengthen Your Core – How to tighten where needed while staying optimistic about future growth.
  3. Look Outward, Not Just Inward – Where to find fresh ideas and inspiration when your instinct is to retreat.
  4. Inject Energy with Innovation – How to re-engage your team through creative thinking and collaboration.
  5. Invest in Client Relationships – The power of generosity, empathy, and connection during tough times.
  6. Strengthen Supplier Ties – Why open conversations and loyalty create flexibility when you need it most.
  7. Stay Visible and Steady as a Leader – How your calm presence can be the anchor your team relies on.
  8. Celebrate Small Wins – Why progress in small steps keeps morale high and momentum strong.

💡 Key Takeaway

Your team, your clients, and your business all take their cues from you.
How you show up as a CEO in uncertain times will shape how your business emerges on the other side.

Connect

💡 Need help scaling your business from 7 to 8 figures? Get in touch jenny@jennystilwell.com.au

Remember: Better strategy, better business, better life! See you next time!

SPEAKER_00:

Hi there, this is Jenny Stilwell, and welcome to the 7% Club Podcast for the 7% of business owners who break through two million in sales, and for those on track to join this club. This podcast is to help you upscale. In today's episode, I want to share something that's close to every leader's reality: guiding your business through tough times. And I know from my perspective, over many years in business I've certainly had my share of tough times, and I understand what it's all about. Every CEO hits those patches where things feel uncertain, and it could be market share, it could be cash flow pressures, disruptions with your team, or all of the above at once. The way you show up as a leader in these moments has an enormous impact and not just on the results, but on your team's confidence, your clients' trust, and your company's future. So today I'm going to walk you through eight powerful ways you can lead with clarity and strength when challenges hit. Strategies that will help keep you moving forward, keep your team focused, and even uncover new opportunities along the way. So let's dive in. Number one, reassure and redirect your team. Now, whatever's happening in uncertainty, silence is the enemy. People are going to make up their own stories if you don't give them clarity. And their stories will invariably be worse than the actual situation you're going through. You've got to be honest about what's happening, why, and how your team fits into the solution. You've got to involve them. You can't keep them in the dark. Proactive communication is really critical. And I don't think you can communicate too much when you're going through difficult times. And I also think that by talking about something openly, rather than keeping it hidden and pretending it isn't happening, in a way it normalizes the situation you're in. So your team will adjust and keep going with more confidence and clarity. Number two, protect and strengthen your core. Now, when I say your core, I'm talking about the core business that you've got. So if you've got to tighten overheads, go ahead and do it. Defer discretionary expenses. And you've got to make sure that you balance those sorts of moves with optimism. So it can't all be shut down, tightening, go small. You also have to have some optimism. So you've got to remind yourself and your team that your core business is the foundation from which future growth is going to come. And you've got to reconfirm how important it is to look after your existing clients, to nurture those relationships, and really stay focused on the activities that are going to make a difference, particularly connections with real people rather than social media posts, for example. So really focus on that core business and those activities that are going to have the most positive impact. Number three, don't forget to look outward as well. Now, when you're going through tough times, it's I guess the default position is to look inward. You know, where can we cut costs? What do I need to do? You know, what do I need to do with a team? And it's very much an inward focus, but you've got to look outward as well. And you can't just get caught looking inwards because the support and ideas that you really need exist outside your business. So you've got to look for where the shifts are happening in the market with your clients, who's innovating, who's coming up with creative new ideas. How could you also bring some of those into your own business? And I think we all know that in difficult times, regardless of what's caused that difficult time in the market, there are always, always companies that are flying and benefiting from those changes in the market. So take a look at what's happening in your industry in other countries and look for new ideas and potential creativity and innovation, and always be talking with your customers because they are going to tell you what else they need, what would help them if they're going through a difficult time, and that outward perspective is going to give you ideas that you won't have if you're constantly looking inward. Okay, now the next point probably I guess balances that it's to inject energy with innovation. So what you want to do, you want to involve your team in this process because they have ideas, they talk to the customers as well, they talk to each other, they look at different social media from you, they probably read different things, listen to different things. So you've got to look at what else you could be doing, how you could be doing things differently, faster, cheaper, better, offering it to a different market segment, perhaps even package what you do differently. And momentum builds morale. So even small wins in something innovative or creative, it could be a new offer you come up with, a new delivery method, that can really reignite energy and progress with your team. So get the team involved in this brainstorming process. And I guarantee, if you've got the right people in your team, it's not only going to generate new ideas and opportunities, but it's going to result in a big shift in energy and morale because they feel valued, they feel heard, they feel that their ideas are important, they'll bounce off each other, and they'll all be part of the solution to getting through the difficult times and making things better for the business, better for the customers, and better for themselves as well. And that sort of brainstorming and creativity really injects a lot of energy into the company. Number five, invest in client relationships. So you've got to go beyond transactions. You've got to show the clients that you care about their challenges, not just your own. And often, I'd say usually, generosity when times are tough pays back tenfold when you're looking at partnerships and client relationships long term. So it applies whether it's your company that's going through a rough patch or your clients. You've got to share, you've got to listen, you've got to help each other. Because if you've looked after your clients up to this point, you'll have a foundation of strong and trusted relationships to support you. And that is so important. So don't just think about it when times are tough. It's got to be part of what I said back in point two. It's got to be part of your core business, nurturing those relationships. Okay, number six, strengthen supplier ties. So your suppliers can make or break resilience. They're so important. You've got to keep them close, you've got to communicate openly and explore opportunities together. There needs to be a strong relationship, there needs to be loyalty, and there needs to be that strength of relationship that you will help each other when you need to. It's been my experience that they can offer flexible terms, they will take off immediate pressure. And again, as with clients, if you've got strong and trusted supplier relationships, this is a huge asset in difficult times. And uh, you know, I've personally had the situation where, you know, key suppliers who you probably spend the most with are very happy to offer you flexible terms as long as you commit to them, uh, because they don't want to lose you as a client either. So think of it from that perspective as well and just talk openly. Okay, point number seven. From your perspective as the CEO, you've got to stay visible and you've got to remain calm and in control. So even if you feel overwhelmed, and you possibly will, your role is to project calm, confidence, and focus. You've got to take the pressure away from your team and you've got to let them execute while you stay focused on navigating your company through any risks and also new opportunities. And you know, you can't be a leader behind closed doors, whether it's in person, in a physical office, or through Zoom calls or even video updates. Your presence energizes your team. And you've got to be the voice that they look to for stability, and you cannot underestimate the power of this. And again, in my own experience, you think you're just doing your job and being there for the team and doing all the things I'm talking about here, but to your team, it really does give them a sense of calmness, cohesion, trust, and confidence. And, you know, I had a team member, one of my senior team, come to me when we'd been through, from my perspective, an absolutely excruciating six months. Excruciating, so stressful. I lost so much weight, it was just the most stressful time. And it wasn't until afterwards when he knew what had been going on, and he said, That was amazing, you kept all of that from us. We had no idea what was going on, and it's just as well we didn't. You just held it all. You know, so it was great for them. They just kept doing what they had to do, looking after customers, doing their thing every day, and I had to deal with this. And um, you know, it really makes a big difference. You don't necessarily think you're making a positive impact because you're so stressed, but the team notice, and it's very important for them. And number eight, celebrate small wins. You know, I'm a huge advocate of this. In difficult periods, progress can be measured and celebrated in baby steps, and it may even only be baby steps. But every tiny win contributes to forward momentum. And celebrating small wins is so important for your team and for you as the leader to help bolster morale and confidence, and again, in check that energy that everyone needs, including you as the leader, to keep moving forward. And I really can't stress how important it is to celebrate those small wins. No matter how small, celebrate. It's just those positive moments that give everyone a boost and keep everyone going. So there you have it. Eight proven and effective ways to steady your business and lead with clarity when times get tough. For reassuring your team and strengthening your core business, deepening client relationships, and also brainstorming possible innovation. These aren't just survival tactics, they're strategies to create momentum and opportunity, even in positive phases. You know, don't forget the power of these when the business is going well. And if there's one thing I want you to take away from today's episode, it's this. Your team, your clients, and your business all take their cues from you. The way you show up as a CEO in uncertain times will shape how your business emerges on the other side. If your business is facing challenges right now, or if you want to build the structure and the confidence to navigate the next phase of growth, I'd love to help. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website to explore resources and programs designed for founders like you. And if you found today's episode useful, please share it with other business owners who might need these insights right now. And that's all for today's episode of the 7% Club. Thank you so much for listening. And as always, wherever you are in the world, remember better strategy, better business, better life.