In Uncertain Times, Ask This Question Before You Commit

0:28This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. of America for a reason. With SUVs made to move with your rhythm. The versatile Equinox tackles your entire day. The spacious Traverse fits your crew and your whole weekend. And tracks bring style with value you can count on. All infused with tech that has your back. So your drive always hits the right chord. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. In times of crisis or uncertainty, leaders often think, we just need to ride this out. But what if the turbulence you're facing isn't temporary? I'm Cheryl Strauss-Einhorn, founder and CEO of Decisive, and I help leaders make high-stakes decisions in complex environments.

1:15Right now, that complexity isn't occasional, it's constant. We're not just facing isolated disruptions, we're living in a perma-crisis. Geopolitical instability, climate shocks, AI disruptions, supply chain breakdowns, and it's all overlapping and accelerating. In my latest Harvard Business Review article, I offer four questions to help leaders make smarter decisions in this environment. Too often, we treat volatility like the weather, something to wait out. But if this is the new normal, your strategy can't just focus on recovery. It needs to be built for resilience. This question helps you stop reacting and start designing systems that can flex and endure.

2:00So let me walk you through a real example that shows how this question can unlock a different path forward. One of my clients, we'll call him Daryl, is the COO of a consumer goods company. He had a longtime vendor who kept missing deadlines and compromising quality. But instead of making a change, he was treating the disruption like a one-off storm, something temporary. That one question changed everything. He launched a dual-track plan, onboard a new vendor, and give the current one a final 90-day window to improve. The result, better quality, fewer delays, and a more resilient supply chain. The question, it didn't give Daryl the answer.

2:42It gave him a better lens so he could lead with clarity and not wishful thinking. For the full set of questions and more tools to navigate permacrisis, read the full article at Harvard Business Review. Your team just added its 67th AI tool and also your 67th security blind spot. The good news? The Vanta agent works like a GRC engineer in the background, finding every app your team uses, scoring the risk, and drafting fixes for you. Vanta is the platform used by over 16 ,000 fast-moving companies like Ramp, Cursor, and Harvey, who are shaping the future with AI and staying ahead of AI risk. Get started at Vanta.com.