In the Age of Instability, Leaders Are Not Commanders; They Are Holders of Unstable Spaces
In today’s complex and unstable world, the traditional leadership model—based on prediction, control, and rapid response—no longer suffices. Constant changes, structural uncertainty, and hidden psychological pressures within the layers of organizations call us to a new kind of leadership: one not rooted in providing answers, but in holding space.
Leadership as “Space Holding”
In the thinking of Otto Scharmer’s Theory U and Peter Senge’s works on “learning organizations,” the concept of a “holding space” is fundamental. Within this framework, a leader is not a commander or answer-giver, but someone who holds the space—that is: tolerates uncertainty, remains calm, and creates a container for the chaos not yet structured. In effect, a holding space refers to the ability to create a safe and open environment where individuals and groups can reach their deepest levels of awareness and creativity, and draw inspiration from the future that is emerging.
Margaret Wheatley also underscores the importance of “quiet presence in crisis”—where leadership transforms into an act of caretaking for the survival of meaning amid instability.
Why Is Holding Space More Important Than Providing Answers?
According to the theory of Adaptive Leadership by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky, the leader’s task in crisis isn’t to offer immediate answers, but to “hold the tension without letting the system collapse.” True leadership is creating the necessary change—even if it’s uncomfortable—but not at such a pace that the system or people cannot digest it. A leader must:
- Gradually put aside unrealistic demands and expectations,
- Present bitter truths in ways that are absorbable,
- Regulate the pressure of change rather than suddenly releasing it.
In other words:
A good leader knows exactly how much frustration and change can be injected into the system at each moment without causing its collapse. Thus, unanswered questions and lingering ambiguities, when properly held, can become sources of creative energy for the system.
Listen for Whispers of Erosion
As Amy Edmondson cautions, the health of a system lies in psychological safety, where the invisible signs of subtle erosion are heard and taken seriously: “Psychological safety means believing that people can express ideas, concerns, or mistakes without fear of humiliation or punishment.”
Here, leadership is not realized in major decisions or project designs, but in caring for the unseen layers of the present moment.
An effective leader is one who, not merely by managing moments of crisis, but by continuous presence at the thresholds of the unknown, enables the endurance of the organization. Thus, leadership becomes a stabilizing anchor in the face of unknown waves, so that the organization/team can engage in exploratory sensemaking and navigation amid ambiguity, and under the leader’s steady presence, preserve its structural foundations—a place where the leader is not just a lookout, but the pillar upon which the sails are hoisted.
Living in the Question, Not the Answer
This article posits that questioning is itself a profound act of sustainability. When the leader, instead of impulsive responding, holds the space for ‘living in the question’, they actually allow the system to recover, heal, and even redefine itself. Minds become active drivers which, instead of anxiety from separation, awaken an eagerness to dwell in ambiguity and journey into the unknown.
- The space of living in the question is a region between knowing and unknowing—where the real energy of transformation is generated.
- The “holding” leader waits for meaning to emerge; they do not impose it.
📌 Conclusion: Leadership as Care
In a world where answers are rapidly invalidated, a successful leader is one who serves as “holder of unstable spaces”—not to control, but to shelter and care for what is still coming into being. Thus, the holding leader is not about knowing, but about being able to tolerate the unknown with compassion, presence, and patience. Such leadership itself becomes a source of restoring calm and collective meaning in an age of subtle erosions.
References:
- Scharmer, C. O. (2016). Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
- Freedman, P. (2024). Islands of Sanity and Spiritual Leadership in a Time of Crisis: Margaret Wheatley and Paul Freedman In Dialogue. Holistic Education Review, 4(1).
- Heifetz, R. A., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: Tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard business press.
- Edmondson, A. (1999). “Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams”. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 2.
