In business, as in life, navigating ambiguity is inevitable. True leaders embrace uncertainty, moving forward with courage, belief, and resilience. One leader who embodies these qualities is Jo Roden, former partner at Deloitte, where she was instrumental in the strategic capability team. Her unique approach to leadership, drawn from experiences as a seasoned mountain climber and Duke of Edinburgh instructor, offers valuable insights on how to harness ambiguity, foster trust, and stay grounded in purpose. For business leaders today, her journey exemplifies how to push beyond comfort zones and empower others to do the same.
Embracing Ambiguity in Leadership
Jo’s role at Deloitte was far from traditional. While many in the firm provided services directly to clients, Jo worked internally to develop and implement future strategies. Her focus lay in building human-centred design capabilities within Deloitte’s technical teams, blending design thinking and empathy with technical expertise. This approach created a more meaningful connection with clients, turning routine interactions into positive, relationship-driven experiences. As Jo would say, “Layering empathy and design thinking over technical skills creates a truly human-centred offering in the market that’s difficult to replicate.”
For Jo, this blend of technical skill and human empathy was essential in helping her team navigate complex landscapes. She often drew on her experiences in mountain climbing, where the path is never certain, and the only way forward is to trust in your skills and your purpose. For today’s business leaders, combining technical capabilities with empathy-driven design thinking can differentiate an organisation, cultivating teams that are resilient and adaptable.
The Power of Belief and Mindset
A powerful driver in Jo’s leadership approach is belief – both in herself and her team. She shared how her years as a Duke of Edinburgh instructor taught her the value of a resilient mindset. On a challenging trek in the UK, Jo led a group of young girls through boggy terrain in low visibility. As fatigue and fear spread through the group, she recognised the need to shift their mindset, encouraging them to focus on what they had already achieved rather than the difficult journey still ahead. This mental shift helped them find strength and move forward.
In the business world, similar principles apply. When teams are tackling new projects or navigating unknown territory, leaders can help them focus on incremental wins to build confidence. Jo’s ability to guide others toward a more resilient mindset serves as a reminder of the importance of building belief as a foundation for progress. In our work at Mezzanine, we apply this philosophy with clients by using frameworks like empowerment marketing to help teams and brands tap into their potential, fostering resilience by reinforcing what they’ve already achieved.
Trust as a Foundation for Leadership
Trust lies at the core of effective leadership. Jo’s journey as a mountain climber gave her a profound understanding of how quickly trust can be established, even with strangers. She recounted a story of following an instructor up a daunting ridge she wouldn’t have dared to attempt on her own. “Within half a day, this person I barely knew had earned my trust so completely that I was willing to follow him, doing things I’d never imagined I could do,” Jo said.
For business leaders, building trust with teams is about more than managing people. It’s about understanding their strengths, knowing when to support and when to challenge, and guiding them through unfamiliar terrain. Jo’s experience demonstrates that trust-based leadership enables teams to innovate, take risks, and learn from their mistakes – all essential in today’s rapidly evolving market. At Mezzanine, we’ve seen firsthand how cultivating a trust-based culture strengthens organisations, especially when combined with frameworks like our Conscious Brand Programs, which help teams engage with purpose and build authentic connections.
Bridging Vision and Action
One of Jo’s greatest strengths is her ability to turn vision into reality. She believes that successful leadership is not just about having a big idea but about connecting that vision to actionable steps. Jo’s advice for business leaders is to define a clear direction and let flexibility emerge in the paths taken to reach it. “If you’re firm on your values and vision, you can navigate ambiguity without losing sight of your goals,” she noted.
We believe brands with a clear purpose can withstand the challenges of an ever-changing market by aligning vision with actionable steps. For businesses navigating complex markets, our Brand Diagnostics service helps identify core strengths and define next steps, aligning purpose with strategy to build resilience and drive growth.
The Importance of Reflection
In the mountains, Jo makes it a habit to pause and look back on her journey. This simple act of reflection allows her to see how far she’s come, reinforcing her belief in her capabilities. Yet, she noted that reflection is often neglected in the workplace. “We’re so focused on the next goal that we rarely take the time to acknowledge what we’ve achieved,” Jo remarked. “But reflection is essential for learning and growth. It’s an opportunity to recognise our progress and recalibrate for the road ahead.”
Incorporating regular moments of reflection – whether individually or in teams – creates a feedback loop that enables continuous improvement. During our workshops, we build in space for reflection, encouraging leaders to evaluate what’s working and what’s not and to celebrate milestones before moving forward. For leaders, making reflection a habit strengthens the team’s commitment to their goals and boosts morale.
Taking the First Step: Courage in Uncertainty
One of Jo’s most impactful insights was her philosophy of “taking one more step.” She explained, “In rock climbing, people often freeze when they reach a certain height. But if I can get them to make one move – maybe just six inches forward – they often find the momentum to keep going.”
This advice resonates powerfully in business. For leaders facing uncertainty, taking even a small step forward can create the momentum to overcome bigger challenges. In our article on navigating change, we explore how embracing incremental progress, rather than focusing solely on big leaps, can foster a culture of resilience and continuous improvement. When leaders encourage their teams to take manageable steps, they help build confidence, allowing everyone to overcome initial hesitation and find their rhythm.
Aligning Purpose with Passion
Jo’s journey highlights the power of aligning personal passions with professional purpose. At Deloitte, she found a way to integrate her love for the outdoors with her strategic expertise, bringing the principles of resilience and adaptability into her work. For purpose-driven organisations, allowing people to bring their whole selves to work enables creativity and innovation. Jo’s experience underscores the value of workplaces that encourage people to align their passions with their roles, ultimately fostering both personal satisfaction and a stronger team.
Purpose-led organisations create environments where employees can innovate freely and leverage unique strengths. Jo’s experience reflects the importance of purpose-driven workplaces and shows that when leaders support individual passions, they enable growth, collaboration, and meaningful impact. At Mezzanine, we support brands in fostering purpose-driven workplaces, which creates conditions for sustained growth and innovation.
Staying the Course: Advice for Business Leaders
Reflecting on her career, Jo offered advice for those navigating ambiguity: “Be brave. Look at what motivates you, and be courageous enough to take the first step. Don’t fear failure – it’s part of the process.” Jo’s insights echo the essence of resilience – facing challenges with courage and learning from every step, no matter the outcome.
Jo’s journey is a testament to the power of trust, reflection, and resilience in leadership. Through these values, leaders can bridge the gap between vision and action, creating businesses, teams, and communities that are resilient, purpose-driven, and ready to embrace whatever the future holds.
At Mezzanine, we believe that businesses, like individuals, thrive when they are clear on their purpose and brave enough to take action, even in uncertain conditions. Whether through our strategy workshops or ongoing brand management, our mission is to support leaders in moving from vision to action, transforming beliefs into tangible outcomes.
