What leaders must do when fear and uncertainty tempt them to protect their position instead of the mission.
There’s a moment many leaders experience but rarely talk about.
You’ve done your job. You’ve delivered results. You’ve represented the mission well.
And then suddenly something you said—or something you did—creates more attention than you expected.
Now the question isn’t just about the work.
It’s about your future.
I remember a moment like that when I was serving as a Senior Executive Service leader at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Obama Administration.
My team and I were leading outreach across the country, educating organizations about the Affordable Care Act and the new Health Insurance Marketplace we were building for consumers.
At the end of one presentation, I opened the floor for questions.
Someone asked who would benefit from the marketplace.
I started listing the groups we were working to help—people with pre-existing conditions, families without access to employer coverage, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who needed affordable options.
And then I mentioned another group.
Former professional football players.
I explained that many former NFL players deal with long-term physical and mental health issues and could benefit from access to health insurance coverage.
I also mentioned that we had been having conversations with the NFL about the issue.
Less than thirty minutes later, the story exploded.
Media outlets began reporting that the National Football League was working with the Obama Administration to promote Obamacare.
The HHS press office was flooded with calls.
The White House press office was flooded with calls.
Members of Congress began sending threatening letters to NFL team owners, suggesting they could face antitrust scrutiny if they worked with the administration.
All because of a single statement during a Q&A session.
Then I received an email.
I was being asked to join a call with staff from White House Communications, White House Public Engagement, and the Domestic Policy Council.
In Washington, those kinds of calls can go one of two ways.
Either they want information. Or they’re about to ask for your resignation.
As I waited to join that call, I had to confront a quiet question many leaders eventually face.
What happens if doing the right thing costs me my job?
Seven people reported directly to me. They looked to me for leadership.
And in national politics, sometimes someone has to “fall on the sword” so the work can continue.
In that moment, I made a decision.
I reminded myself that the mission—and the President’s legacy—mattered more than anything else.
I wasn’t going to compromise either of those things to protect my position.
I had done the right thing.
And whatever happened next, I could live with that.
When the call started, they asked me to clarify exactly what I had said.
Where was the speech? Who was in the audience? Was it true that we had been speaking with the NFL?
I told them the truth.
Everything that had been reported was accurate. I was doing my job—educating stakeholders about how people could gain access to health insurance coverage.
In the end, no one asked for my resignation. No one reprimanded me.
They simply needed to hear the story directly from me so they could manage the public response.
Because the mission—getting people covered—couldn’t stop.
The Leadership Reality Most People Don’t See
From the outside, leadership often looks confident and stable.
But inside many organizations—and certainly inside government—leaders often operate in environments where one decision, one comment, or one moment can create enormous pressure.
And sometimes that pressure creates uncertainty about your own future.
Will this decision hurt my career?
Will this moment change how people see my leadership?
Will I still have this role tomorrow?
Those are questions many leaders carry quietly.
The Choice Leaders Still Control
When you face uncertainty about your own future, the temptation is to protect yourself.
To stay quiet. To avoid risk. To choose self-preservation over conviction.
But strong leaders make a different choice.
They stay aligned with the mission.
They stay grounded in their values.
And they keep showing up with clarity—even when the outcome is uncertain.
Because leadership isn’t defined by how you behave when everything feels safe.
Leadership is revealed in moments when doing the right thing carries real risk.
One Final Question
Over the past month, I’ve been writing about the different kinds of uncertainty leaders face.
- Global uncertainty.
- Organizational uncertainty.
- Political division in the workplace.
- And the personal uncertainty that sometimes comes with leadership itself.
These conversations keep raising an important question.
How are mission-driven executives actually experiencing leadership right now?
To answer that question, I’ve launched the Mission-Driven Executive Leadership Survey.
This research is designed to better understand how senior leaders are navigating uncertainty, influence, and leadership responsibility in complex organizations.
Because the insights from this survey will shape future research and leadership programs, access is limited.
If you would like to participate, you’ll need to meet certain qualifications.
Please complete this brief application to see if you qualify.
Click Here for Application for MDE Leadership Survey
If approved, you’ll receive a private link to complete the survey.
The leaders who participate will also receive early insights from the research once the survey closes.
Because understanding how leaders experience uncertainty today will shape how we prepare the next generation of leaders tomorrow.
