Chaos to Catalyst: How To Make Disruption Your Leadership Superpower
Issue 2846 — May 5, 2025
How are you feeling today?
If you responded “anxious,” “unsure of the future,” or “immobilized,” you aren’t alone.
We live in an era of permanent disruption — economic shocks, political upheaval, technological leaps, and personal curveballs that throw even the best plans into disarray. It seems like every day, there is a new threat to job security or the cost of necessities. There’s constant talk about the price of eggs and the looming price increases on almost everything as a result of tariffs, or maybe the threat of tariffs is just that, a threat, and everything will be fine.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
But what if chaos isn’t the end of the road — what if it’s the beginning of your next breakthrough?
What if you see with different eyes so you create a new solution to an old problem? What if you muster the courage to take the lead when no one else will to create a different narrative? What happens when you have to clarify your values and make a hard choice because of the disruption?
Turning Turmoil Into Power
I wrote my most recent book, Intentioning: Sex, Power, Pandemics, and How Women Will Take the Lead for (Everyone’s) Good, during the peak of the pandemic. And one of the key points I made is that there will always be something that brings about a sea change and disrupts life for good or ill.
In 2020, it was COVID-19. And think of the innovations sparked or rocketed up by the pandemic. Vaccines were created at warp speed, for example.
Zoom went from being a company with revenues around one-third of a $1 billion in 2019 to $4.5 billion in 2024, and while growth has slowed, there is no doubt that the chaos introduced so suddenly into how people work has resulted in more flexible workplaces across the board. Virtual meetings via Zoom are now routine even within organizations that have insisted employees return to work, often saving millions in travel expenses and thousands of hours in travel time.
Sometimes a new technology like AI infuses chaos into our lives and work. What opportunities is that bringing us? What professions are going to be most affected, perhaps made irrelevant?
We don’t know all the answers to those questions yet, but we do know we had better get ready to drive change or we will be driven by it.
Sometimes it’s volatile leadership, whether political or organizational. Let’s be real here and acknowledge the job and funding losses that many people are experiencing. If this chaotic moment can be represented as a tornado, what seeds will it throw out into surrounding land, and what new growth will take root and flourish as a result?
On the business level, remember the shakeup at Open AI a couple of years ago? CEO Sam Altman was suddenly ousted, employees revolted, and the board came under fire. The internal upheaval and subsequent investigation clarified for the team and the public what was truly at stake — the ethics of AI, leadership trust, and organizational purpose. The aftermath led to more transparent governance and a renewed mission alignment.
Sometimes chaos, like controversy, forces an evaluation of your core values — and a recommitment to purpose.
Sometimes, like with world-renowned gymnast Simone Biles, it’s a personal issue that sounds the alarm and causes a regroup. During the 2021 Olympics, Biles pulled out of key competitions due to mental health concerns, sparking global debate. Instead of collapsing under pressure, she chose self-preservation and redefined what strength looks like in elite performance. Despite a global debate over her action, she took that time for herself, reclaimed her power, and came back better than ever, and happier too.
Sometimes the bravest leadership move in chaos is rewriting the rules.
In every one of these examples, chaos wasn’t seen as only a problem — it was also recognized as a portal to new thinking. The energy that could have derailed Simone, Sam— or others I’m sure you can think of— became the seed that moved them forward to new growth. That’s the heart of Carpe the Chaos.
How to Carpe the Chaos and thrive
In my upcoming “Power Breakthrough” webinar on May 8, one of the leadership tools I’ll share is my leadership power tool #5, Carpe the Chaos — a method I learned from experience for turning disruption into a source of energy, clarity, and forward movement. Whether you’re leading a team, building a movement, or rebuilding after a personal storm, this tool will help you harness uncertainty rather than be hijacked by it.
Because the most effective leaders aren’t the ones who avoid chaos — they’re the ones who know how to see differently, choose boldly, and act with purpose when everything seems uncertain.
Possibly you can think of striking examples of personal growth or creative success by taking the energy of chaos and letting it propel them forward. Perhaps you have examples from your own life.
Join me May 8 for a deeper dive into how you can use this power tool in your own leadership journey. You’ll leave not just inspired, but equipped.
GLORIA FELDT is the Cofounder and President of Take The Lead, a motivational speaker, and a global expert in women’s leadership development and DEI for individuals and companies that want to build gender balance. She is a bestselling author of five books, most recently Intentioning: Sex, Power, Pandemics, and How Women Will Take The Lead for (Everyone’s) Good. Honored as Forbes 50 Over 50, and Former President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, she is a frequent media commentator. Learn more at www.gloriafeldt.com and www.taketheleadwomen.com. Find her @GloriaFeldt on all social media.