There is no doubt that during times of significant uncertainty, companies trim back resources, stop planning, and feel uneasy making big decisions. Today, we are in a place of severe uncertainty. Everywhere I turn, I talk to integrators, friends, business owners, and family who are unsure of our future as a country and that leaves many feeling unsettled.

It’s my opinion that in some situations, scaling back is needed - or completely unavoidable for some (like when the economy crashed in 2008 for example). I wanted to challenge this line of thinking through and write about pushing past comfort zones and using times of uncertainty to position yourself and your company in a place of power. But how do you do this especially if you feel as though the world is in an unstable state?

People are looking for LEADERS. How can you lead in your space?

1. Don’t cut back - Refine: If you’re currently working in many different areas, narrow down your scope and expertise. It may seem counterintuitive, but it will help you stand out more when others find themselves scrambling across multiple areas.
2. Invest in yourself: Now is the time to invest in your future and in yourself. It’s critical for your development and your skillset. Think about where you want to invest your time, energy, and money. Evaluate the values that these investments have to you and whether or not they align with your visions for the future.
3. Stand Out: Marketing, products, materials, logos, whatever you have - do it BIG. Identify where your company wants, or will, grow from and start to make it happen. This is a time of reinvention and discovery, so start applying these things to the strategies you use in business.
4. Make Relationships: When all conventional methods fail, you always have your word to fall back on. Make key relationships and find out how you can give back and help those relationships grow. It will pay off tenfold. Along with this, you can use this time to pinpoint who your ideal customers are. This is essential in learning more about your business and growing.

This quote by John Rockefeller does a good job at summing up what this time can be all about:

“If you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” -John Rockefeller

Reinvent what you know about yourself, your goals, and your futures, and make sure to do the same for your business. It’s important to ensure your business is resilient to the time, no matter the state of the economy or the world. Identify your core values, leading with dignity, and continuing to develop with the times of technology and automation.