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Or explore challenges using 9 building blocks identified in Business Model Generation. (For more
information, visit www.businessmodelgeneration.com.) Whatever framework you use, look for
patterns and interconnections to gain perspective and inform solutions.

7. Negativity taking over? Counter closed-door thinking. When there are a lot of unknowns, people
sometimes fill in the blanks with doom and gloom forecasts. This can block the ability to be
optimistic—to see the advantages of change. Through years of research, psychologist Martin
Seligman has found that optimism can be developed in specific ways. (For more information, visit
www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu.) Identify what can be done in the midst of uncertainty. At minimum, a shift in
attitude is always possible. Research shows that there are more optimists in the senior levels of
leadership. It’s unclear whether they’re promoted partly because they’re optimistic or if they become
that way once they’ve arrived. What is clear is that optimism is influential. Although tied to one’s
natural disposition, it can be developed through consistent effort.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Laufenberg, D. (2010, December). Diana Laufenberg: How to learn? From mistakes [Video file].
TED.
Sidhu, I. (2011, January 24). Overcoming ambiguity: Three steps that every business can take.
Forbes.
Wilkinson, A., & Kupers, R. (2013, May). Living in the futures. Harvard Business Review.

8. Want to be 100% sure? Balance thinking with action. Lots of us want all the data in and all our
ducks in a row before we act. Perfectionism is tough to let go of, especially when past success can be
traced back to getting it right with zero defects. Recognize your perfectionism for what it might be—
collecting more information to improve your confidence in making a fault-free decision, thereby
avoiding risk and criticism. Try to decrease your need for complete information and your need to be
right all the time. Decrease it slightly every week until you reach a more reasonable balance between
thinking it through and taking action. Try making some small decisions on little or no data. Anyone
with 100% of the data can make good decisions. The real test in the marketplace is who can act the
soonest with a reasonable amount—but not all—of the data.

9. Prefer to check things off your list? Redefine what progress means. Do you have a high need to
complete tasks? Wrap things up in nice neat packages? Working well with ambiguity often means
moving from incomplete task to incomplete task. Some projects may be put on hold, some may never
be finished. You’ll constantly have to edit your actions and decisions. It’s the way things typically go
with emerging realities or new initiatives. When going through transitions, it’s common to put
temporary structures in place—temporary teams, org chart, systems. After one thing ends and before
something new begins, scaffolding gets erected, torn down, then replaced. Life in flux means it’s time
to change your internal reward system. Instead of just feeling good when you finish a project, it’s
about moving things forward incrementally. Think progress over perfection. Recognize it. People
always need appreciation for a job well done—so do you.

10. Need inspiration? Learn from others who thrived during uncertainty. There are examples
throughout history of people who have done well when the environment around them was highly
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