Paddle Out Early: Lead in Uncertainty with Clarity

This summary draws insights from the following Chatham House Rule sessions at the 2025 Page Up Annual Conference: The Swell Ahead: Signals From a Shifting World, Turning the Tide: How Communications is Powering Reinvention and Navigating Institutional Tensions in Changing Political Currents.

The Big Picture
Across sessions, speakers underscored that uncertainty is not an anomaly; it’s the new operating environment. The most effective communicators don’t wait for clarity; they create it. Whether navigating geopolitical volatility, leadership transitions, or AI disruption, Page Up leaders and panelists urged attendees to paddle out early, acting decisively amid ambiguity and guiding their organizations with purpose and calm.

Impactful Quote

“You’re not going to know what the crisis of the day will be when you wake up in the morning. And it certainly may not be the crisis that you went to bed prepared for the night before. So we’re in a period where we have to be extraordinarily flexible. We have to always be ready. We have to constantly be knowledgeable and expect the unexpected.”

Discussion Highlights

Lead before it’s safe to lead.
Waiting for perfect information is waiting too long. The leaders who succeed are those who establish context early, then adapt with transparency as facts evolve. Presenters throughout the conference emphasized that speed and integrity can coexist: clear principles allow communicators to act decisively without overstepping. The takeaway—prepare decision frameworks in calm waters so you can move with confidence when the storm hits.
Values as the compass.
In polarized environments, values, not politics, must guide communication. Panelists stressed anchoring on mission to navigate competing pressures and “translate values into local, actionable language”.
Composure is credibility.
In the face of political attacks, a leading tech team modeled calm under fire — protecting internal morale first, communicating facts second. Tone and restraint often matter more than speed alone.
Transparency over perfection.
Patagonia’s Corley Kenna demonstrated that credibility grows when brands act before they announce. By prioritizing employees first and transparency always, she built trust through authenticity.
Structure your surfboard. In a conversation about media mix, communicators were reminded that speed and stability rely on structure. Owned content builds trust; earned validates it. Paid sharpens focus; shared fosters connection. In volatile markets, using all four in concert creates a steady platform to steer narrative amid noise.

Why It Matters

Clarity doesn’t require certainty — it requires courage. As communicators steer through permacrisis, the imperative is to show teams and stakeholders what steady looks like: values-anchored, transparent and human. The ability to communicate direction amid volatility isn’t just crisis management — it’s leadership.

To Take Back to Your Teams

Define “decision bands.”
Map what can be decided with incomplete data — and by whom — to prevent paralysis when situations shift.

Create readiness rhythms.
Daily “surf reports” or morning intelligence loops keep teams situationally aware and confident to act.

Rehearse for the unknown.
Simulate fast-moving ambiguity — political surprises, policy reversals, data shocks — and test how your narrative holds.

Model steadiness.
When turbulence hits, your calm becomes everyone’s signal. Be the quietest person in the loudest room.

What Members Asked

Q: How do you provide direction when your leadership team doesn’t yet have all the answers?
A: Even a message like “Here’s what we know today and how we’ll decide what’s next” builds confidence — ambiguity is survivable, silence isn’t.
Q: What’s the balance between speed and patience in a crisis?
A: Speed establishes control, but patience protects credibility — “we respond fast, then we refine.”Q: What’s one habit that helps your team stay confident in uncertainty?
A: Several participants described starting each week with short intelligence huddles — scanning what’s rising, what’s receding and what might hit next — to keep teams proactive instead of reactive.

Social Chatter