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Many leaders are struggling right now with how to lead their teams to be productive with so much financial and regulatory uncertainty. Few would blame them. After three years of pouring their hearts and souls into developing vehicle safety technology, Jacobs team suddenly found itself wondering if it was all for nothing. Grants they had already received suddenly had new requirements that were challenging to meet, budgets theyd allocated were frozen by their parent organization fearing a coming recession, and costs for parts were rising so rapidly that profits on existing deals were evaporating. In short, everyone on Jacobs team had reason to worry each time one of these changes came. They also understood that more major changes could be comingand without much notice. These employees knew that it was possible that their projects or current roles might not even continue. Every team member showed signs of being distracted and worried. Jacob recognized that if they took their eye off the ball, they could be even worse off. Work still needed to get donefailing to do so could harm their careers (and the health of the company). Jacob was in a bind: he needed to keep the team productive. But he knew that any project he asked them to focus on could be cut, and any efforts could turn out to be wasted time. He couldnt look into a crystal ball and know his guidance would be right. In my work training and coaching leaders in Fortune 500 organizations and beyond, regardless of the industry, Ive seen leaders often take the wrong steps in highly uncertain timesand end up demotivating the team. What doesnt work is: Optimism Great arguments Big picture vision and purpose Theres a time for those approaches, but leaning on them at the wrong time makes the leader seem out of touch. Imagine a house sitting on a fault line: then comes an earthquake. After the shaking stops, the house is still standingbut the foundation has visible cracks, and the ground beneath has clearly shifted. Would you trust someone who charged in optimistically and with a cheery tone told you the house will be just fine and to head back in? Or would you trust someone who acknowledges that there could be aftershocks, and who agrees that it makes sense to test the structure of the house before going back? Most people would trust the second person more. Theyve acknowledged your reality. They stand a chance of finding out if the house is safe, and if not, what steps are needed to make it so. In highly uncertain times at work, there are psychological earthquakes and aftershocks coming regularly. Each time, no matter how much trust you had built up in the past, because reality has shifted, you need to show you understand the new reality to gain trust again. Motivating teams through tough times Ive also seen leaders get people to perform in tough times. They start by meeting the people on the team where they are mentally and emotionally before trying to coach them. Theyll acknowledge that its stressfuland perhaps even heartbreakingto give so much to your work and then learn it could end up in the trash. Its distracting to believe that your job, or at least your current project or function, might become obsolete. Its natural to wonder whether youll still be valued in the same way. Those leaders ask questions to ensure they really hear the concerns, perspectives, beliefs, and feelings of people on the team. Thats what Jacob did with his team, too, to help them perform and keep adapting as needed. Im here, and I hear you Heres why it matters to do so. When people cant control a situation, they care deeply about whether they can trust the process by which their future will be determined. Research has shown that even when the outcome is outside their control (whether it be a performance review or budget upheaval), if people felt the process was fair, theyre more able to set the past aside and do what needs to be done. A major part of believing they can trust the process is whether they feel the leaders or authorities have heard and seen them. They want to know if the leaders understand their reality. They want to know the leaders get it. Then the process seems more fair. Neuroscience has found that peoples perception of fairness changes when they focus on a process versus an outcomesay, how leadership took a listening tour before making project cuts, rather than the outcome of the cuts themselves. Theres a big difference in how the brain reacts when we evaluate between the two. When we focus on an outcome seeming fair, we primarily use the areas of the brain that correspond to emotions. But when we focus on the process, we use the regions of the brain that relate to social cognition. That means people are thinking about other people involvedand good leaders meet them there. Psychological research has also tested the importance of making people feel heard specifically in times of great uncertainty. In the pandemic, leaders were better able to get emergency personnel to embrace new ways of operating when they took this step. Feeling heard and seen leads people to be ready to accept hardships and move forward. Unconsciously, at least, the team members are trying to answer the questions can I trust the process? and can I trust this person? Zooming out After you meet your employees where they are emotionally by letting them know you hear and see them, your team can begin to trust you and your process more. At that point, it can be very helpful to show your optimism, or give your great arguments, or remind them of the big-picture vision. What leaders need to remember is that in times of great uncertainty, we need to earn the right to lead, coach, and influence every time the ground shifts. Some months that means we need to do it in every conversation or meeting we have with our team members. Let them know you get it. Then they will be more likely to let you lead them in whatever ways you need to. In uncertain times, people are understandably worried, so leaders need to demonstrate each time anew.
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E-Commerce
Shares in major quantum computer companies were on the rise again in premarket trading on Tuesday, highlighting what has been a volatile couple of weeks for a nascent industry that continues to captivate. Here’s what’s driving the latest news: D-Wave announces Advantage2 By far, Palo Alto-based D-Wave Quantum Inc (NYSE: QBTS) is seeing the biggest boost in premarket trading, with its stock up more than 12% as of this writing. This boost follows a 7% increase in D-Wave shares on Monday. Investors are likely excited by news on Tuesday morning in which D-Wave announced the general availability of its sixth-generation Advantage2 quantum computing system, which the company says has a demonstrated ability to solve deeply complex problems that classical computers can’t. “Its what everybody aspired to achieve, and were quite excited about it,” CEO Alan Baratz told Fast Company in March, when the company announced that it had achieved “quantum supremacy” using the Advantage2. Although some researchers have challenged D-Wave’s claims, investors appear to be on board for now. Shares in D-Wave are up 36.84% year to date. Quantum Computing Inc rises, falls, and rises again Hoboken-based Quantum Computing Inc. (Nasdaq: QUBT) has seen some volatility since it released its first-quarter 2025 earnings report last Thursday. The company swung to a profit, reporting net income of $17 million, versus a net loss of $6.4 million last year. Shares surged double digits on Friday after the report, but then fell more than 8% on Monday, possibly due to some profit taking from investors who wanted to lock in their gains. Now, in premarket trading on Tuesday, QUBT is back on the rise again, with the stock up almost 9% as of this writing. Who can keep up? Rigetti Computing Inc: Along for the ride? Shares in Rigetti Computing (Nasdaq: RGTI) were also on the rise in premarket trading Tuesday, up nearly 6% as of this writing. The Berkeley-based company has not announced any news this morning that would impact the share price, so it’s possible that investors are just showing a bit more excitement for the quantum computing space. Experts believe the space has the potential to transform computing as we know it, although debates persist about how far we are from widespread practical uses for quantum computing. It’s worth noting that while all three of the above quantum computing companies are enjoying a rally this week, shares in Quantum Computing Inc. and Rigetti are both down significantly year to date: 36.94% and 39.75% respectively. Only time will tell if these three stocks will continue on their upward path this week and into the future. For now, enjoy the quantum leap.
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E-Commerce
The Trump administration is allowing work on a major offshore wind project for New York to resume.The developer, the Norwegian energy company Equinor, said Monday it was told by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that a stop-work order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to resume.Work has been paused since Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last month directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction and review the permits. Burgum said at the time that it appeared former President Joe Biden’s administration had “rushed through” the approvals. Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits and has spent more than $2.5 billion so far on a project that is one-third complete.Equinor President and CEO Anders Opedal thanked President Donald Trump for allowing the project to move forward, saving about 1,500 construction jobs and investments in U.S. energy infrastructure. He also expressed appreciation to New York’s governor, New York City’s mayor, members of Congress and labor groups, as well as Norwegian officials who worked to save the project. The Norwegian government owns a majority stake in Equinor.“We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs,” Opedal said in a statement.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said it took countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials, and the involvement of labor and business interests, to emphasize the project’s importance and get Empire Wind back on track. Equinor is building Empire Wind south of Long Island, New York, to provide power in 2026 for more than 500,000 New York homes.“New York’s economic future is going to be powered by abundant, clean energy that helps our homes and businesses thrive. I fought to save clean energy jobs in New Yorkand we got it done,” Hochul said in a statement Monday.The Interior Department did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Monday.Large offshore wind farms have been making electricity for three decades in Europe and, more recently, in Asia. But the industry has struggled to grow in the U.S. due to high costs, difficulties growing a supply chain for materials and the lengthy permitting process.Trump has prioritized fossil fuels and moved against renewable energy since returning to the White House. One of his first acts was ordering a pause of offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. But the administration’s targeting of Empire Wind, a project already underway, took that a step further.White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement Friday that while unleashing America’s energy dominance, Trump “paused certain wind projects that are detrimental to our beloved wildlife including birds and whales.”There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While wind turbines can pose a risk to birds, wildlife conservation organizations say they support the responsible development of offshore wind because climate change is a bigger threat.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Monday that lifting the stop-work order is welcome news. Empire Wind will greatly benefit the economy on Long Island and the environment for all New Yorkers, he said in a statement.Offshore wind advocates also celebrated the decision. It’s a win for workers, the industry and companies in places like Louisiana, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, helping to build projects in the Northeast, the Oceantic Network said in a statement.Equinor said on May 9 it would be forced to abandon Empire Wind within days unless the administration relented on its order that stopped construction. Equinor was spending up to $50 million per week and had 11 vessels on standby.Equinor finalized the federal lease in March 2017, during Trump’s first term. The federal government approved the construction and operations plan in February 2024.New York aims to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. New York is getting some wind power from the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, a 12-turbine wind farm called South Fork that opened a year ago, operated by different companies east of Montauk Point, New York. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press
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