Our cat Misty is a gorgeous ragdoll. She lives indoors with us, calm, relaxed, and playful. But the other day I noticed something fascinating.

We had reorganized a few things in the living room—just moved a bag from here to there. Suddenly, Misty’s whole behavior changed.
Her steps slowed. Eyes wide open. Muscles tense. She was scanning only for danger.

The sofa? Familiar. Her toys? Familiar. Her safe spot by the window? Familiar.
But she ignored all of it.

“In that moment, the only thing she saw was potential threat.”

She slipped into survival mode—fight or flight, triggered not by a tiger, but by a bag on the floor.

And that’s when it hit me:
Leaders often do the same thing.

In uncertain times, when the environment feels unstable, many leaders become hyper-focused on danger. They scan the horizon only for threats.
And in doing so, they forget about what’s already working.
They neglect the systems, processes, and people that have carried them this far.

Here’s what I’ve seen over and over:

• When leaders only hunt for risks, they unconsciously starve their strengths.

• The business stops building on momentum, because the focus shifts from growth to survival.

• Teams pick up on this tension and start doubting what’s solid and proven.

The result?

“Performance drops—not because the danger was real, but because the focus was misplaced.”

This is why I bring in the Strategic Uncertainty Audit with my clients.
It’s a tool that surfaces blind spots in shaky market environments without ignoring what already works.

It has helped CEOs and business owners:

• Re-anchor in their strengths.

• Spot and eliminate costly mistakes. 

• Spot risks without drowning in them.

• Show up with confidence in unpredictable times.

The ROI? Less firefighting. More clarity. Bold decisions. And teams that feel safer, even when the market isn’t.

So let me leave you with this:

• Where in your business do you feel uncertainty could sabotage progress?
• If you stepped away from your business for a while, which parts would still thrive—and which would collapse?

Love,
Laszlo