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Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

208. Ambiguity to Action: Tensions and Trade-Offs of Leadership and Communication

Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

Think Fast Talk Smart

Communicating, Influence, Career Skills, Career, Business, Education, Leadership, Careers, Communication, Career Growth, Public Speaking, Language Learning, Improv

4.7 • 711 Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2025

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Amidst constant change, clear communication is the key to navigating uncertainty.


How do you communicate with others when you’re confused yourself? For Rob Siegel, leadership isn’t about avoiding uncertainty, it’s about embracing the clarity that ambiguity can bring.

"What if ambiguity is the new normal?" asks Siegel, a venture investor and lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business. From rapidly evolving AI to ratcheting geopolitical tensions, every day brings a “crisis du jour,” he says. “I may like it, I may not like it. That doesn't really matter, but I've gotta get my team through it."

In his latest book, The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies, Siegel explores how leaders today are “living in dualities,” caught between managing existing processes and adapting to emerging disruptions. “The sooner we get comfortable with [change] in the sense of ‘I don't have to like it, but I can deal with it,’ then [we can] lead our teams and give them the calm to know they can get through this.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Siegel and host Matt Abrahams explore how to communicate effectively amidst constant change. From preparation strategies for spontaneous speaking to building trust through candid conversations, Siegel offers practical tips for communicating with clarity when nothing is certain but change.

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Chapters:

  • (00:00) - Introduction
  • (01:49) - Adapting Leadership for Uncertainty
  • (03:18) - Systems Leadership and Cross Pressures
  • (04:40) - Communication and Context
  • (05:26) - Framing Complex Ideas
  • (06:21) - Innovation vs. Execution
  • (08:11) - Leading Through Ambiguity
  • (09:33) - Short-Term vs. Long-Term Focus
  • (12:44) - Balancing Strength and Empathy
  • (15:26) - Leadership with Humanity
  • (16:42) - Engaging Students Effectively
  • (20:00) - The Final Three Questions
  • (23:41) - Conclusion

   *****
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Transcript

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0:00.0

This episode is brought to you by Stanford University. As a Think Fast Talk Smart listener,

0:05.6

you've heard firsthand how Stanford researchers have brought cutting-edge ideas to life, like

0:10.5

NIRHalevi's work on how to better manage conflict. Stanford researchers are constantly working

0:15.8

to improve the world around us. Computational biologist Brian He is developing machine learning methods to

0:22.7

revolutionize drug design, including addressing the challenge of drug resistance. His innovative

0:28.1

techniques enable the identification of potential drug candidates faster and with greater accuracy.

0:34.6

By leveraging vast datasets and advanced algorithms,

0:37.8

his research is paving the way for personalized medicine and more effective treatments for a range

0:43.2

of diseases. Groundbreaking research like this happens every day at Stanford. Learn more at

0:48.5

research matters.standford.edu.

0:55.7

Managing different tensions is critical for effective leadership and communication.

1:01.8

My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School

1:06.1

of Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Today I'm excited to speak with Rob Segal.

1:13.3

Rob is a venture investor, and like me, he's an instructor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

1:18.2

But unlike me, who only teaches one class, Rob is a teaching machine.

1:23.3

He teaches a lot of different classes, including system leadership, the industrialist's dilemma,

1:28.3

and corporations finance and governance.

1:30.8

You might remember Rob from his first visit to Think Fast Talk Smart in episode 37,

1:35.3

where we discussed his book, The Brains and Braun Company.

1:38.7

Rob has a new book out called The Systems Leader, mastering the cross pressures that make or break today's companies.

1:45.3

Welcome, Rob. Thanks for being here.

1:46.9

Thanks, Matt. It's great to be back. Should we get started?

...

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