Meeting the Moment: Leading Through Uncertainty

The association landscape is experiencing another period of rapid acceleration and change. The steady stream of executive orders and broader economic and geopolitical uncertainties are creating immediate and consequential impacts across our sector. 

Association leaders are being called again to meet the moment and are asking fundamental questions about their organizations' future: How will these changes impact our mission? Our commitments? Our funding streams? Our ability to serve members?

The real-time decisions we make in the days ahead will affect not just our organizations but the lives of our staff, members and stakeholders. To be certain, leadership in times of uncertainty is uniquely challenging. 

In partnership with several of our association clients, we've developed a framework that can help leaders navigate disruptions while staying true to their organization's mission and priorities. 

This approach is centered on three core competencies: 

• Lead with Awareness and Resilience
• Engage Strategically for Greater Influence
• Turn Disruption into Opportunity

Lead with Awareness and Resilience

My McKinley colleagues and I have written extensively about the importance of embracing strategic agility in times of uncertainty. 

We don’t have to look too far in the rearview mirror to reflect on the importance of this approach in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The executives and organizations that were able to innovate and maintain momentum during an unprecedented disruption did so with a combination of agility and humanity, recognizing that rapid change affects people differently.

They also stayed attuned to their own mindsets and those of their colleagues, acknowledging that it can be draining and unmotivating to digest so much rapid change. These leaders also recognized that fostering a spirit of candor, trust and respect with their boards and staff colleagues isn't just good leadership - it's a strategic necessity. 

When teams openly share challenges and solutions, they become more aware and resilient.

Actionable Strategies:

• Be proactive in connecting with members of your team who may be struggling with impacts related to terminations and layoffs of family members.
• Foster an environment where people can connect and learn from one another and share solutions.
• Prioritize self-care to ensure you can navigate uncertainty with clarity and strength. 

Engage Strategically for Greater Influence

Among the most common refrains I’ve heard in 2025 is that “we aren’t changing our values or walking away from our commitments, but our approach may need to change.”

Indeed, key mission priorities and strategic initiatives are being upended by shifting policies. It was only three years ago that diversity, equity and inclusion claimed a top spot on our annual survey of association priorities. Now, continuing to address the needs, interests and hard-won rights of historically underrepresented groups must be accomplished in an entirely new context. 

The current environment will favor those who are able to engage with a broad and diverse set of stakeholders, including those outside their usual comfort zones, to advance their evergreen missions and strategic priorities.

In short, strengthening relationships within your industry and across the association sector is key during times of change. You can learn from other organizations and maintain your core values while finding new ways to make progress, even on priorities that may seem difficult to advance.

Actionable Strategies:

• Engage with your members and stakeholders to get them involved in your advocacy efforts, particularly with their congressional representatives. 
• Purposely connect with the people staffing government functions related to your mission; attempt to find common ground and understand how they can benefit from your capabilities. 
• To foster meaningful conversations around challenging topics and divergent belief systems, consider these essential principles: practice active listening, value diverse perspectives, show authentic vulnerability, balance key elements and embrace collaborative solutions.

Turn Disruption into Opportunity

It's natural to feel a sense of anxiety and depletion when a torrent of headlines and persistent uncertainty are the norms. However, change always brings opportunity, and association leaders who are able to summon the energy and intention to think creatively will discover new options for impact and growth.

Using data, scenario planning and agile governance, associations can stay focused on the long-term promise of the mission while identifying areas within your span of control that may need additional investment. It’s a good time to think about a more intentional global strategy, discreet activities that provide support to members in transition and doubling down on workforce development efforts.

Actionable Strategies:

• Conduct an enterprise risk and opportunity assessment to determine the likelihood of risk occurring and the impact it will have on areas such as your strategy, finance and reputation. You can work with your staff to develop an initial assessment of risks and opportunities, then engage your board to refine and enhance this analysis.
• Conduct regular pulse surveys with your members to understand the impact of change on their daily lives. 
• Engage in scenario planning and assess the portfolio as an ongoing practice to ensure fiscal responsibility and flexibility in adjusting resources to ever-changing strategic priorities.

Moving Forward 

The path forward will be intense. Stay true to your core values while adapting approaches and fostering resilience at both personal and organizational levels. Proactively embrace a strategic mindset that balances immediate needs with long-term investments. And, above all else, lean into the connections you have within this unique and unparalleled community that we are all privileged to call home.

As you consider your leadership approach, remember this framework:

We are holding space for association leaders to connect in person in Washington, DC, as well as through virtual community conversations. If you are interested in attending or you want to talk through your approach, reach out. You are not alone.