How do Leaders Manage Uncertainty?
Uncertainty - the bane of existence for control freaks everywhere. But who says chaos can't be enjoyable? Surely not Juhana Rintala, co-founder and CEO of Ruokaboksi, who has mastered the art of navigating the uncertainties of entrepreneurship while also being a father of two. In fact, Juhana believes that not everything can be controlled, and he's okay with that.
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Trading incomes for dreams
Let's start at the beginning. One of the biggest uncertainties Juhana had to face was when he decided to found his first company, Ruokaboksi. He and his wife had been living a comfortable life in Sweden with decent incomes. But moving to Finland with two small kids and trying to get the new company off the ground was a time that taught him that trading down in salary to a quarter of what it had been before didn't matter. He had a sense of direction, and despite starting a company never being easy, that sense of direction gave him and his family security.
But what about now? How much uncertainty is present in his life currently? "At the moment, the company has reached a very stable situation. I deeply appreciate this phase in my life and plan to enjoy it while it lasts. And the fact is that it never lasts. And that's how it's supposed to be." It sounds like he enjoys the chaos. Is that true? "Yes, for sure, there's a huge need for chaos," he laughs.
Finding control in routines
Surely, sometimes uncertainty can take a toll on a person. What helps then? What has given Juhana a sense of control is the fact that he is a man of routines. "Maybe the fact that I am so particular about my everyday routines gives me permission to not be in constant control at work," he ponders. When talking about productivity, many people might think of productivity apps and the like. But to Juhana, it's much more basic than that. "It's actually not about anything too fancy. Just thinking about basic things like diet, exercise, sleep, and close relationships and following at least some scheme. I am not perfect in that regard; I just had lunch at McDonald's," he laughs.
"It's actually not about anything too fancy. Just thinking about basic things like diet, exercise, sleep, and close relationships and following at least some scheme. I am not perfect in that regard; I just had lunch at McDonald's."
Recruit smart(er) people, provide resources + get out of the way!
But what about leadership? As a co-founder and CEO, Juhana's philosophy is quite laissez-faire. Instead of micromanaging, Juhana's philosophy could be described as consisting of three steps:
1. Recruit smarter people than you are
2. Provide them with a clear vision of where the company should be going and resources to get there
3. Get the hell out of the way
The notion of a "guy at the top with all the answers" seems ridiculous to him. "I believe that the leader's job is to try to see the big picture and communicate that picture to the team as efficiently as possible. Thinking that I would be better equipped to make decisions about the details, such as marketing or how to treat our customers than the experts I hired, doesn't make any sense."
"I believe that the leader's job is to try to see the big picture and communicate that picture to the team as efficiently as possible. Thinking that I would be better equipped to make decisions about the details, such as marketing or how to treat our customers than the experts I hired, doesn't make any sense."
And let's not forget about agility. According to Juhana, the corporate culture where you have to get approval from your boss's boss to order a package of pencils should be long gone. “When you treat people like adults, they will act like adults,” he notes. In a world that is constantly changing, you cannot micromanage everything or get caught up on some ideas. You have to accept the things you cannot control and adjust the direction of the company according to the best knowledge available.
So, there you have it. The secret to managing uncertainty according to Juhana Rintala: embrace the chaos, stick to your routines and let the experts you hired do their job.
“When you treat people like adults, they will act like adults.”
Read more stories from entrepreneurs:
Leader's emotions: the Emotional Rollercoaster of a Start Up Founder
Juhana's book recommendations:
Frederic Laloux, Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage in Human Consciousness (2014)
Stanley McChrystal, Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World (2015)
