If I were only allowed to give first-time leaders one piece of advice, it would be this. Always always always expect the unexpected. That’s because leading involves people, and people, no matter how well you know them, will surprise you.

Frequently.

Out of nowhere, they say something, do something, or don’t do something that you just didn’t see coming. Personally, that’s one of my favorite things about leading people. Even the most predictable people are, at times, unpredictable.

When you add all the other uncontrollable elements into the leadership mix, it can feel as if you’re always on the verge of outright chaos. Unless, of course, you’ve already descended into the realm of total chaos.

That’s why it’s so incredibly important that leaders consistently focus on developing leadership agility.

Leading with agility means being adaptable, responsive, and proactive in navigating change while keeping your team aligned and motivated. If you’re feeling like you’re on the edge of chaos, it’s very likely your people feel it too, and that can be a huge morale killer. You can’t afford to let that happen. Here’s how you can lead with agility and calm the stormy waters of surprise, whether it’s generated from your people or circumstances that seem to be beyond your control.

1. Embrace a Learning Mindset

View change as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Encourage continuous learning and innovation. Here’s the deal: if you’re in a leadership position and you’re not always learning, then you better be ready to always be leaving.

Be open to feedback, both good and bad, and be willing to pivot when needed.

2. Make Quick, Informed Decisions

Gather relevant data but avoid analysis paralysis. You will at times, maybe even often, be required to make decisions with less than complete information. Remember, no decision IS a decision; it’s a decision to do nothing, and that’s almost always a disastrous decision.

Trust your instincts while staying adaptable.

Involve your team in decision-making to gain diverse insights.

3. Empower Your Team

Foster a culture of accountability and trust. Everyone, including the leadership team, must be accountable for results. If even one person isn’t accountable, it doesn’t take long to lose all accountability within an organization.

Give your team the autonomy to make decisions and solve problems. If you’ve hired the right people, this should never be a problem. If you haven’t hired the right people, this won’t be a problem for very long.

Encourage cross-functional collaboration to enhance adaptability.

4. Stay Customer-Centric

Keep your focus on what your customers or stakeholders need. Focusing on your customers and stakeholders ensures you won’t get too far off track, no matter what level of chaos you’re navigating.

Be ready to shift strategies based on feedback and market trends.

5. Build Emotional Intelligence

Remain calm and composed under pressure.

Understand and manage your emotions while recognizing the emotions of others. Leadership is about people, and people tend to be emotional. If you forget that, it won’t be long before you’re a forgotten leader.

Communicate effectively, even in uncertain situations. It’s better to say “I don’t know” than it is to say nothing and leave your people wondering.

6. Create a Resilient Culture

Normalize failure as a part of growth and learning. There are few mistakes or failures big enough to prevent a person or an organization from bouncing back. Just remember to be kind to the people you see on the way up because you may see them again on the way down.

Encourage experimentation and reward adaptability.

Create a safe environment where people feel comfortable sharing ideas.

7. Leverage Technology and Data

Use digital tools to enhance decision-making and efficiency.

Stay ahead of industry trends and technological advancements.

Don’t wait and see; when new technology becomes available, use it as soon as it makes sense.

8. Be Ready to Pivot

Have contingency plans in place. Plans fail but planning always succeeds. Everyone seems to know that backup plans are important; not everyone seems to understand that you can’t have a backup plan until you have a plan to begin with.

Be willing to change direction the moment circumstances require it.

Final Thought

Agile leadership is about balancing decisiveness with flexibility, control with empowerment, and strategy with execution. The more adaptable you are, the more effectively you can lead through uncertainty and change.

Authentic, effective, and agile leaders take charge of change before change takes charge of them. As an agile leader, you can turn change and even uncertainty into a tool to help develop your people and your organization. All you need to do is always, always, always expect the unexpected.