Leading Through Uncertainty: 10 Takeaways from the 2025 Page Spring Seminar

As the chair of the 2025 Page Spring Seminar, I had the incredible opportunity to put together a program for our profession to address the critical moment we are operating in today. Our theme, New World Disorder: Thriving Amidst Chaos, proved to be the perfect backdrop to discuss the challenges and opportunities organizations are facing in today’s environment. As the meeting came to a close last week, I had some time to reflect back on all we learned. As the conference chair, I had set some very important goals to ensure we had speakers who brought a range of perspectives to share on the issues and opportunities that organizations are facing in today’s disruptive world. 

I was delighted that we had insights from CEOs, policy experts, chief communications officers, chief human resources officers, members of the media, a member of the administration and a world-renowned conductor. Throughout the two days, our speakers shared an international vantage point; provided business perspectives from other areas of the c-suite; opened our mind to new ways of leading change; and provided insights on ways to work collaboratively with the new U.S. Administration. We also had plenty of time to collaborate and share our own experiences and best practices with each other. All to continue to advance our profession. I cannot think of a more important time to gather in Washington. 

We had a mix of sessions that provided robust geopolitical, operational, transformational and practical advice. All were designed to equip us with the tools and strategies to anticipate and mitigate risks and empower us to be proactive and resilient in the face of uncertainty. 

There were so many learnings from our sessions, so I thought I’d recap my top 10 takeaways. 

Your words matter; show up with an authentic voice.

Bring intentionality to your communications by listening deeply and carefully choosing your words to ensure that you communicate in ways that align with your culture and values. This will help you be credible if you decide to engage and guide you in how you engage.

Project calm.

As the role of CCOs continues to evolve and we are acting more as strategic advisors to our CEOs and other c-suite partners while also acting as a bridge among the c-suite, it is more important than ever to project calm and provide light, not heat in times of uncertainty.

Play the long game, don’t react to every action.

With the unprecedented volume and disruption of rapid changes happening all around us, it’s important to play the long game and not react to every situation. Like multiple acts in a play, it’s important to let things unfold to understand the complexity of what exactly you may be facing and consider if or how to engage.

Lead with empathy, make sure you think through who is impacted.

Our employees are facing external stress from the uncertainty in the world around us. It’s in the background of their minds when they step into the workplace. It’s more important than ever to lead with empathy and to consider the potential unintended consequences of what you say, how you act and policies you put in place.

Focus on policy, not politics.

With so much political discord globally, it’s important to focus on policy and not politics. It’s a lens for which you can conduct constructive dialogue and keep the emotions of politics out of the workplace.

Embrace uncertainty.

We have been living in a period of great uncertainty for the past 5 years and it doesn’t look like that will change in the near future. It’s critical to embrace uncertainty and keep moving forward so you don’t stagnate.

 Adaptability in a mindset.

Come to the table ready to change. Being adaptable is more important than ever with the developments in commerce, policy, technology and society. As communicators, we need to lead change and being adaptable and flexible will help us lead our organizations through complexity and disruption.

Take care of yourself.

Take time to take care of yourself or you won’t be able to take care of your employees and company. This is not a luxury but a necessity to bring clear headed advice, meet the demands required of our roles and create positive change for our organizations and communities.

Sit in the front row of your life.

You can always sit in the back row to observe, judge or even sleep! But you can choose to sit in the front row of your life to engage, lead and contribute to positive change. You make this choice every day in how you show up and it directly impacts those who are around you.

Consider the art of possibility.

Don’t get stuck in the cycle of a downward spiral. By changing your mindset and opening yourself to radiating possibilities, you can positively lead change, build a strong organizational culture and drive impact.

One more thing is clear: unpredictability, geopolitical tensions and ever-changing business landscapes might be latent in 2025, but we’re not alone, we have a powerful network of peers to rely on and find ways to thrive amid chaos.