ISSUE #002 | THE LEADERSHIP CONTRARIAN
As I sit down to write this second newsletter, I’m struck by a simple truth:
We are all living in a world that feels louder, faster, stranger, and more unpredictable than anything we grew up with.
If issue #001 was about grounding us in a holistic, integrated life…
Today’s issue is about why that matters now more than ever.Because as leaders, parents, partners, business owners, and human beings trying to navigate the noise — we are living in something military strategists first named decades ago:
VUCA.
Volatility. Uncertainty. Complexity. Ambiguity.
And whether we want to admit it or not…
We’re swimming in it every day.
A Story From 1980
Let me tell you where this hit home for me long before I ever knew the word “VUCA.”
I was 12 years old.
It was 1980.
And the economy was collapsing faster than anyone could process.
My dad sold swimming pools for a living, and because the prime rate suddenly shot up to 21.5% — almost overnight, (that’s not a mistake, 21.5%!) no bank in America would issue a loan for a swimming pool.
Not a single one!
One day my dad had a career.
The next day…he didn’t.
Our family went from a house full of parties and friends to a house full of stress, confusion, and the humbling reality that everything can change in a moment.
My dad pivoted, hustled, and did whatever he could to take care of us.
My mom did too.
And I started mowing lawns to contribute.
I didn’t know it then, but that season planted the seed for the work we do now.
Because every leader - like every family - hits moments when the world stops behaving the way it used to.
And when that happens…
We need a framework.
A way to understand the chaos.
A way to lead through it rather than be swallowed by it.
That’s where VUCA comes in.
VUCA: What It Really Means
VUCA stands for:
- Volatility - rapid, unpredictable change
- Uncertainty - the future is unclear and confidence falls
- Complexity - too many moving parts, too many variables
- Ambiguity - lack of clarity, precision, or definition
In calmer times, these are low.
Predictability is high.
Confidence rises.
But in seasons like 1980…
Or 2000.
Or 2008.
Or 2020.
Or frankly, right now…
VUCA isn’t just a moment.
It’s the air we breathe.
Leaders today are dealing with this nonstop:
- Markets shifting overnight
- Technology accelerating faster than we can adopt it
- Global conflicts that affect every local business
- Changing customer expectations
- Team dynamics in constant flux
And let’s be honest - the complexities inside our own lives are no less real.
Marriage.
Parenting.
Health.
Faith.
Life transitions.
The quiet storms no one else sees.
VUCA is personal.
And it’s not going away.
So What Do We Do?
This is where living life more holistically as a leader matters.
This is why competency matters.
Why capacity matters.
Why resilience matters.
Because in a VUCA world, reactive leaders crumble.
Proactive leaders rise.
And not because they’re superhuman.
Not because they have perfect systems or perfect teams.
Not because they’ve mastered every external challenge.
But because they’ve upgraded their internal operating system.
They’ve learned to slow the chaos inside so they can lead through the chaos outside.
They’ve cultivated:
- Specific Leadership Skills (5 of them, actually)
- Capacity
- Emotional resilience
- Clarity under pressure
- A non-anxious presence - the kind of groundedness people feel the second you walk into the room. It’s the kind of presence that puts people at ease and makes them feel safe and more confident, just because you’re in the room.
This is what separates leaders who survive from leaders who grow — in life, in business, and in the relationships that matter most.
Why This Matters to You
If you’re reading this newsletter, it’s because you already know:
You can’t navigate today’s world with yesterday’s tools.
You’ve felt the stress of volatility.
You’ve lived through uncertainty.
You’ve confronted complexity.
You’ve wrestled with ambiguity.
And you know there has to be a better way than white-knuckled leadership.
There is.
And in future issues of The Leadership Contrarian we’ll unpack the individual pieces of VUCA and some tools to counteract their impact on your leadership, your team and your family life.
Because in a VUCA world, your leadership doesn’t have to shrink.
Your capacity can grow.
Your resilience can deepen.
Your life can become more integrated, not less.
And you can do all of this with more
confidence,
more clarity,
And more joy…
...without adding more to your plate, especially when leadership already feels overwhelming at times.
As we come in for a landing, what i’m attempting to say is,
even in a challenging economy with lots of VUCA,
your leadership can become more stable, more human, and more profitable.
And it’s worth the effort. I’ve seen it over and over again for the last 20+ years.
Next Week: The 5 Competencies Every Leader Needs
In the next issue, we’re going to look at how to start building in some resilience to all four parts of VUCA by beginning to unpack the 5 Core leadership competencies that research shows are essential for thriving in today’s VUCA world.
We’ll start with an overview to introduce you to the concepts and why they’re relevant enough for you to invest your time.
Think of this as leadership strength training, except it’ll be fun.
Your Turn
If this message hit home for you today…would you hit reply and tell me?
Tell me the moment in your life or leadership when VUCA hit hard.
Tell me the part of your journey where volatility, uncertainty, complexity, or ambiguity felt overwhelming.
Tell me what’s rising to the surface for you as you read this.
And if you made it this far, tell me which part of VUCA you want me to go into more detail about.
I read every reply.
Until next time -
Stay grounded.
Stay growing.
And God bless,
- Michael Redman
Half a Bubble Out (aka: HaBO)
Business Consulting | Leadership Coaching
