I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon of late as uncertainty has become the modus operandi. Many of us find ourselves unsure of what will happen, what may not happen, and what will occur next. So, what do we do?

We hide. We live in a grey zone. We commit, but we don’t commit. We plan, but we leave a back door open. We tell the truth, but we try to avoid the specifics for as long as possible.

I have a friend who always replays, “I’m almost there” whenever he’s questioned about his location. ‘Almost’ being an ambiguous and often non-transparent term. It’s a word that’s alive and well in the operative grey zone.

Grey zone phrases include: “I’m almost positive we’ll complete the project on time” or “What can I tell you, I’m pretty sure I’ll be here for another year.”

The grey zone is the twilight between today and tomorrow, between certainty and chaos, between planning and improvising. And, in many ways it’s the zone of the 21st century. The challenge is: how do you lead in a world of ambiguity? How do you lead in the grey zone?