{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The Uncertainty Advantage: How Smart Leaders Turn Volatility into Growth","description":"Episode 229 Released March 19, 2026 Guest: Rebecca Homkes (Economist, Growth Strategist, Lecturer at London Business School & Duke University) Episode Overview In this episode, I am joined by economist and growth strategist Rebecca Homkes for a conversation about leading through uncertainty. With macro volatility showing no signs of letting up, Rebecca shares a practical, no-nonsense framework for how executives can stop reacting to the noise \u2014 and start growing through it. Key Themes & Takeaways Build internal predictability You can't control the macro environment, but you can build an organisation that knows how to adapt. Instead of chasing certainty from outside, focus on creating consistency, clarity, and agility within. Develop strategic beliefs \u2014 not just trend lists Ditch the endless list of environmental trends. Instead, identify 8\u201315 core strategic beliefs that underpin your decisions. Use these as a tracker \u2014 monitoring what affirms or challenges them \u2014 so you filter signal from noise rather than drowning in both. Reframe uncertainty Language matters. When leaders talk about "managing" or "handling" uncertainty, they pre-load it as a threat. Uncertainty is simply a set of future events \u2014 some will be opportunities. Organisations that lean into uncertainty as the best environment to learn are the ones that grow through it. Growth is a loop, not a line Stop expecting a linear path to success. The Survive \u2192 Reset \u2192 Thrive model acknowledges that leaders will cycle back through phases \u2014 and that's not failure, it's the loop working as it should. The reset is the power move. Focus is a parallel path Fewer priorities, properly resourced, outperform 25 half-funded initiatives every time. But focus alone isn't enough \u2014 pair it with a built-in capability for adaptability. That's how you stay nimble without losing momentum. Shift from answers to questions The executive's role is evolving. The leaders getting ahead right now aren't the ones with all the answers \u2014 they're the ones asking the right questions and empowering their teams to find them. Learning vs teaching organisations As organisations mature, they often confuse sending people to seminars with actually learning. Real learning is active, in the field, and tight \u2014 and organisations that learn faster, grow faster. Book Mentioned Survive, Reset, Thrive: Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times by Rebecca Homkes An end-to-end playbook for growing through any environment \u2014 not just downturns. Especially relevant for leaders navigating tariffs, geopolitical shifts, or any macroeconomic uncertainty. Find Rebecca \ud83c\udf10 RebeccaHomkes.com \ud83c\udf10 SurviveResetThrive.com \ud83d\udcbc LinkedIn: Rebecca Homkes ","author_name":"The Executive Edge","author_url":"http:\/\/suefirthltd.com","html":"