For a long time, we thought leadership was about certainty. We reward the one who talks first, decides fastest, and seems to have it all figured out. But in an era of Black Swans, what if leadership isn’t about knowing more, and it is about holding space for those still figuring it out?
This was one of the key questions that emerged during The Black Swan Effect, Preparing Leadership and Businesses for the Unexpected, our flagship event at the INAC Global Annual Meeting in Mexico City, where we explored what it really means to lead in the face of disruption.
To lead today is to hold space for uncertainty, for ideas in progress, and for voices that need time to find clarity. It means being calm in the noise. The one who listens without judgment, who dares to say “I don’t know yet”, and creates psychological safety for others to say it too.
In our The Black Swan Effect event, we explored how leadership in uncertain times, as we are living, is less about control and more about support, that means …
▪️ less about control and more about psychological safety,
▪️ less about solutions, more about connections,
▪️ less about perfection, more about presence.
What stood out was the recurring idea that in moments of high disruption, people don’t just look for direction, they look for grounding, for leaders who give them space to think, to question, and to grow. Not in spite of the uncertainty, but because of it.
So, as my article title suggests, what does it mean to “hold space”? It means …
▪️ Staying present when others are unsure.
▪️ Leading with empathy, not just authority.
▪️ Encouraging diverse through instead of rushing to consensus.
▪️ Trusting the process when clarity hasn’t yet arrived.
TAKE NOTE:
– Leadership today is not about knowing more. It is about making it safe not to know and building the kind of culture where questions become catalysts for change.
– In unpredictable challenges, holding space for others to think, feel, and grow may be the boldest thing a leader can do.
____________________________
Marcela D’Alessio, Board Member INAC Global and Partner INAC Peru
Global executive search partner at INAC Perú and Coach with a distinguished career in business and marketing—including her role as Marketing Director at Procter & Gamble—she brings deep expertise in corporate and family businesses. Her background in Business Administration and Accounting along with an MBA allows her to provide strategic, high-impact executive talent solutions.
