ADVISORY ARTICLE
By Jeff Oltmann
Oregon, USA
During turbulent times, leaders are like guides through an untamed jungle, helping their teams chart a safe path through difficult obstacles. But how can you guide others when you can’t see anything yourself–when everything is shrouded in fog or obscured by torrential rain?
Recently the management team at a client was struggling with this. How could they lead well during an ambiguous, all-consuming project to revamp their enterprise software and business processes? I shared six techniques with them, drawn from my experience managing product development teams during challenging times.
Respond calmly. Fear and confidence are both contagious. Project calm to your frontline teams, even if your own gut is churning. Acknowledge the uncertainty of the situation, but also your confidence that the team can work together to overcome obstacles. (For further insights, explore Dr. Amy Edmondson’s research on psychological safety in the workplace at www.spspro.com/psychological-safety.)
Acknowledge your fallibility. But isn’t admitting fallibility a sign of weakness exactly when your team needs to see a strong leader? Not at all. It’s acknowledging that the team must depend on each other if they are going to find a safe path forward. Say things like “I may miss something that I need to hear from you. We need everyone’s voices in the game, so please speak up.” Acknowledging what you don’t know is fine – as long as you promise to follow up with answers and deliver on that promise.
Confront fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). Seek it out, because avoiding FUD makes it worse. When you find pockets of FUD, replace it with facts and realistic expectations. Address legitimate concerns that may underlie the fears.
Find a safe place for yourself. Even though you must be calm and composed with your team, you need a place for yourself where you can worry and vent openly. Gather several trusted colleagues to create a private space where you can discuss concerns and questions. It’s OK to vent in that safe space as long as you shift to constructive problem-solving…
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How to cite this article: Oltmann, J. (2025). Six Tactics for Leading Through the Fog, PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue V, May. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/pmwj152-May2025-Oltmann-Six-Tactics-for-Leading-Through-the-Fog.pdf
About the Author
Jeff Oltmann
Oregon, USA
Jeff Oltmann is a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience advising clients, managing successful technology programs, and developing new products. His specialties include strategy deployment, operational and project excellence, and project portfolio management. As principal consultant at Synergy Professional Services, Jeff advises leaders and teams in diverse sectors including healthcare, research, bioscience, and technology product development.
Jeff is the founder of the Portfolio and Project Leaders Forum. He is also on the graduate faculty of the Division of Management at Oregon Health and Science University and was previously on executive staff at IBM. He teaches portfolio, program, and project management and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®).
Jeff welcomes your questions and ideas. You can contact him at jeff@spspro.com or read previous articles at www.spspro.com/article-library.
