OrgDev 2026 Keynote

Leading
Through
Uncertainty

In a world that prizes certainty, how do we lead when the answers aren’t clear?

Author and TED speaker Simone Stolzoff explores how embracing the unknown can lead to wiser decisions, stronger leadership, and a deeper sense of purpose.

Simone Stolzoff

Author and Journalist

Simone Stolzoff

Featured Session

The future of work won’t come with perfect answers.

That’s exactly why this conversation matters.

About the Keynote

Leading Through Uncertainty With Author Simone Stolzoff

Drawing from his forthcoming book How to Not Know, author and TED speaker Simone Stolzoff explores why our discomfort with uncertainty may be holding us back and how embracing the unknown can lead to wiser decisions, stronger leadership, and a deeper sense of purpose.

Tailored for managers navigating change, this talk offers research-backed strategies for finding clarity in ambiguity and leading with values when the path forward is uncertain.

What You’ll Explore

Practical ways to lead when certainty is not available.

01

Get more comfortable with not knowing

Reframe uncertainty as a leadership condition, not a personal failure.

02

Make decisions without perfect clarity

Learn how to move forward when the path is still forming.

03

Lead with values when answers shift

Anchor your leadership in purpose, not just plans.

About Simone

Work, meaning, and identity are never separate for long.

Simone Stolzoff is an author and journalist who explores big questions about work, meaning, and identity. A former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO, he is the author of two books: The Good Enough Job and How to Not Know.

His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and on the TED stage. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and son.

ATD OrgDev 2026

Join the conversation on leading when the answers aren’t obvious.