Uncertainty Isn’t Abstract—It’s Immediate
When you live in a war zone, the uncertainty isn’t abstract—it’s visceral and immediate. You wake up not knowing if the day will end with a hot meal or the sound of sirens. Some days, survival is keeping your head down and praying for silence. Other days, it’s about collecting water from a dripping faucet in the yard, cooking on an oil-powered stove, and hoping the fuel doesn’t run out.
I remember watching my mother, who developed a phobia from the bombings. The fear was so intense it left her physically ill, followed by migraines that lingered long after the echoes of explosions faded. Later, she faced an even greater battle—cancer. She fought bravely, embodying a resilience that taught me more about courage than any classroom ever could. Yet, in the end, the cancer overcame her. Still, her strength in those moments became a lesson I carried forward: leadership isn’t just about survival—it’s about facing the unimaginable with dignity and grace.
Carrying Lessons Into a New Kind of Battle
That understanding of uncertainty—how it strips life down to essentials—prepared me for challenges I never expected to face here in the U.S. Years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself drawing from those early lessons in ways I hadn’t anticipated. As an academic counselor and Student Learning Specialist at the Defense Language Institute, my role extended beyond offering study strategies or academic guidance. I was supporting service members who had left behind the comfort of home, their families, and their sense of belonging—only to confront an invisible enemy no one was prepared for.
In those moments, my job was no longer just about academic success—it was about providing stability in the middle of profound isolation and fear. Service members would open up during our one-on-one sessions, voicing fears they had never spoken aloud before. One question lingered long after our conversations ended: “What if I die alone in a strange city, far from home?”
There was no answer that could ease that fear. But I quickly realized that leadership during uncertainty doesn’t require solutions—it requires presence. It means holding space for someone else’s fear without trying to fix it.
Offering Stability Through Structure and Purpose
So, I increased the number of one-on-one sessions I offered, starting each day at 7:00 a.m., ready and focused. I launched my Microsoft Teams sessions early and kept my virtual door open until 5:00 p.m., ensuring that anyone who needed support had a place to turn. Every hour became an opportunity to provide consistency at a time when everything else felt unstable. It wasn’t just about academic strategies anymore—it was about offering a sense of normalcy, a familiar routine, and a listening ear that didn’t waver.
In those long hours, I discovered that leadership wasn’t about offering false reassurances. It was about being present, listening without judgment, and creating space for others to share their fears. Simply acknowledging their struggles was often enough to build trust—a vital foundation when everything else felt uncertain.
That trust allowed me to help them regain a sense of control, however small. We worked on establishing routines to create structure, setting achievable goals to restore a sense of purpose, and finding ways to inject moments of joy into isolated days. Leadership, in those moments, wasn’t about having power—it was about lending strength until they could find their own again.
Leading in Uncertainty: A Lasting Lesson
Uncertainty strips life down to its core, revealing what truly matters—connection, presence, and the quiet resilience found in small, consistent acts. Leading through it isn’t about having all the answers or offering solutions that don’t exist. It’s about showing up, listening without judgment, and creating stability in the smallest ways.
Whether in a war zone, facing personal loss, or navigating a global pandemic, I’ve learned that leadership begins with presence. It’s found in extending a hand—whether that means offering water from a faucet in a time of scarcity or launching a virtual meeting at dawn for those who need to be heard.
The true measure of leadership isn’t found in grand gestures but in the willingness to be there, day after day, when uncertainty feels overwhelming. It’s found in creating structure amid chaos, offering purpose through meaningful acts, and fostering trust through unwavering presence.
In the face of the unknown, leadership becomes less about fixing and more about standing beside others as they navigate their own fears. And in doing so, we help them find their own resilience—and perhaps, rediscover our own.
