796: Build Your Tolerance for Uncertainty, with Simone Stolzoff
Summary
Host Dave Stachowiak interviews author Simone Stolfoff on building tolerance for uncertainty to lead effectively. They discuss how modern technology reduces our comfort with ambiguity and share strategies like finding anchors, prototyping ideas, and taking action to navigate the unknown. The episode highlights how embracing uncertainty fosters innovation, citing Slack’s pivot and Airbnb’s pandemic response as examples of leaders thriving through adaptability rather than rigid prediction.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Building tolerance for uncertainty in leadership
Why global uncertainty is rising and our tolerance is declining
The biological and psychological aversion to ambiguity
How uncertainty tolerance drives innovation: The Slack story
Admitting what you don't know builds credibility
Building pain tolerance through exposure to discomfort
Finding anchors: Using values to navigate uncertainty
Learning by building: Prototyping to gain clarity
Rowing through the fog: Adaptability beats prediction
Guest reflection: The stability of a portfolio career
Conclusion and recommended episodes on complexity and creativity
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