This series of articles is focused on the topic of Strategy Activation. It is based on conversations that Aastha Minocha (Principal, Health Transformation) and John Schantz (Managing Director, Strategic Accounts) had with Dr. Wesley Burks (most recently CEO of UNC Health and Dean of UNC School of Medicine), supplemented with other experiences.
In times of uncertainty, team members don’t need perfection – they need presence. They look for leaders who are steady, honest, and sincere. Yet the instinct for many is to tighten control, project confidence they may not feel, or avoid hard truths. Dr. Wesley Burks (most recently CEO of UNC Health and Dean of UNC School of Medicine) believes the most powerful way to lead through uncertainty is to lead authentically. A familiar phrase, but what does it really mean or look like? As someone who strongly values authentic leadership and has seen it demonstrated from working with hundreds of C-Suite leaders over my career, I share a special appreciation for Dr. Burks’ demonstrated style and impact. Ultimately, authentic leadership doesn’t eliminate the unknown, but it does create a foundation of trust and resilience. Authenticity can show up in many ways, but three effective ways I have seen it come to life include:
- Staying grounded in who you are and your values, no matter what
- Courageously acknowledging hardships while offering hope
- Trusting next-level leaders and team members to navigate with you
Know Who You Are: Values, Identity, and Consistency
In moments of crisis or ambiguity, the pressure to perform can pull leaders away from their core. But it’s precisely in those moments that people look for consistency – someone who knows who they are and leads from that center. Authentic leadership begins with clarity: What do you believe in? What values guide your decisions, even when things are difficult? Dr. Burks says, “You may talk to different audiences a little differently, but you must try not to change the core of who you are. Why you do what you do, how you show up, and how you serve should be unwavering.” When you operate from a clear set of values, it becomes your anchor. You can’t promise certainty in external circumstances, but you can offer internal steadiness. That steadiness is contagious – it helps people feel safe, even if they’re unsure of what comes next. Authenticity doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means showing up honestly, aligning your actions with your values, and being the same person on the hard days that you are on the good ones.
Name the Hard Truths, Then Lead with Hope
When things get difficult, it can be tempting to rush past the discomfort, to “spin” the situation or offer premature solutions. But real trust is built when you call out reality as it is. When leaders acknowledge the difficulty of a moment –without dramatizing it or downplaying it – they show their team that they’re paying attention, that they’re not tone-deaf, that they care, and that they’re not afraid to sit in the tension. Wesley says, “If you try to do something in the way of a big-picture vision without acknowledging how difficult things are now, then you’ve lost them. Acknowledging this is hard – and at the same time, helping people have hope, to me that’s the balance that you try to strike.”
As long as leaders and teams know you’re truly on their side, that honesty creates space for them to breathe and prepares them to follow you. Once you’ve named what’s hard, you can point to what’s next, not with shallow optimism but with a shared sense of purpose and from a plan that’s rooted in values and the knowledge that you’ll face it together. The role of an authentic leader isn’t to eliminate pain or doubt, but to offer a path forward through it. Even if you don’t consider yourself “touchy feely,” start by listening and acknowledging.
Trust Your People: Empowerment Through Belief
Leading through uncertainty doesn’t mean carrying the entire burden alone. If you know me, you know that this is something I continue to fight like so many others – if I do it myself, I will get it done faster and without any back and forth! But having seen a number of great leaders really welcome others into the journey, I know its importance. Trying to do it all yourself ultimately burns you out and signals to your team that you may not believe in their ability, will, or capacity. One of the most powerful things a leader can do is trust their people. That doesn’t mean blind faith or passive delegation. It means intentionally creating space for others to contribute, lead, and make shared meaning of the journey alongside you.
When you visibly trust your team, they rise to the occasion and feel seen, empowered, and essential. Micromanaging under pressure may feel like a form of control, but it almost always erodes engagement. In Wesley’s words, “I believe in you enough to let you help carry this.” That belief becomes a catalyst not just for performance, but for deepened commitment and shared ownership. Another executive leader with a long tenure working with and for Wesley put it this way: “I could see myself working hard and doing good work for another CEO because I might lose my job or not be given certain opportunities. But for Wesley, I wake up every day doing the absolute best I can because I believe in that man, and because I know he believes in me. That’s my why.”
Uncertainty will always be part of the leadership journey, and there’s no one blueprint for how to lead perfectly through all of it. But there is a posture: authentic presence. Know who you are and let your values lead. Name the struggle, then lead with hope. And trust your people – they’re not always looking for a hero. Usually, who they need most is a leader who sees them, includes them, and walks alongside them.
Part Two: A Roadmap for Creating Shared Meaning
Part Three: Starting a Movement
Part Four: Driving New Behaviors: The Key to Operating as One
