I recently finished reading a book by Australian author Richard Flanagan called Question 7. The book explores his family and sense of place, set against the geopolitics of World War II. One detail that gave me pause was the title. Question 7 refers to a metaphysical puzzle posed in a short story by Russian writer Anton Chekhov:

“Wednesday, June 17, 1881, a train had to leave Station A at 3 a.m. in order to reach Station B at 11 p.m.; just as the train was about to depart, however, an order came that the train had to reach Station B by 7 p.m. Who loves longer, a man or a woman?”

Chekhov’s point is that the writer’s job is to ask the deepest questions without purporting to answer them.

Why is this relevant to communicators? Question 7 made me think about the kinds of dilemmas CEOs and C-suite leaders face every day in today’s uncertain, unpredictable environment. In a world where we have data, data everywhere, the C-suite has never faced such hard dilemmas that call on all their leadership powers and demand judgment beyond logic. They require clarity, conviction and communication.

They are operating in a world where the the new reality is … uncertainty.  They can no longer trust the models they’ve always relied on. Stakeholder views are in constant motion and increasingly polarized. Customer demands are elevated, consumer perceptions have become unpredictable and technology is driving consumption at a dizzying speed. Multiple truths are operating simultaneously, creating complexity, confusion and a need to navigate and scenario-plan in new ways at each turning point.

The escalating daily dilemmas and heightened risk will paralyze some CEOs but bring competitive opportunities for others—when tackled with decision advantage as opposed to decision regret.

That challenge is playing out at a global scale. According to the World Economic Forum’s May 2025 Chief Economists Outlook, 82% of chief economists say global uncertainty is currently “very high,” with trade, monetary and fiscal policy cited as the most volatile factors. Meanwhile, 79% expect recent U.S. policy shifts to create long-term global disruption, and nearly half of all organizations are planning to delay decisions or diversify operations in response.

For communicators, this only raises the stakes. In this kind of environment, decisiveness without alignment becomes a liability. It’s not just what leaders decide—it’s how they communicate it, who they bring with them and how ready they are to pivot when conditions shift again.

That’s why communication isn’t downstream support. In this high-risk environment, it’s often the strategic driver of success or failure. Of winning—or, at the very least, not losing. In this uncertain environment, there will be both. Yes, strategy is important.  But communication that is truly tailored to stakeholders, without compromising values, but accounting for trade-offs, is the name of the game.

Whether the challenge is market-facing or deeply internal and out of public view, communication is often the foundation of no-regret decisions that maximize opportunity as well as minimize risk.

This is where an integration of corporate affairs and brand impact matters most. At its best, communication unifies narrative, reputation and growth strategy—linking what an organization believes to how it behaves.

That’s the inflection point where communication becomes irreplaceable—not just as messaging, but as muscle. The strongest leaders today aren’t aiming for omniscience. They’re imagining new scenarios. They’re staying open to multiple truths, acting with purpose and adjusting with speed. And they’re asking their communication teams to be part of that front line, not the follow-up. 

As audiences approach brands from countless side doors—media, employee channels, investors, influencers and policy arenas—alignment can’t be an afterthought. Communication must connect narrative to value, decipher signals from the noise and turn leadership intent into audience impact. It marks a shift from defensive, reactive cycles to deliberate, plotted momentum.

Creating Anchors in an Uncertain Environment: Hear More From Rachel on the It’s No Fluke Podcast

This is how resilience is built. Not just in risk management, but in the discipline to return to your anchors—people, purpose, values—and communicate them clearly, especially when answers are incomplete. The most credible leaders today are the ones who say, “Here’s what we know. Here’s what we’re watching. Here’s how we’ll stay ready.” The credible leaders are those who understand context and how it connects to community and culture and drives decision-making.

Because let’s be honest: no one has a crystal ball big enough for this moment. But those with a process, a plan, the predictive tools and a point of view? They’re the ones leading with confidence—even in a time of shared ambiguity.

And they’re not doing it alone. They’re surrounding themselves with trusted partners who bring clarity to complexity. Who understand both the risk landscape and the human context. Who know that in a fragmented, high-pressure environment, communication isn’t just the playbook—it’s the platform.

Rachel Catanach leads FleishmanHillard’s New York and Boston offices and the Global Executive Advisory, counseling CEOs on leadership transitions, board engagement and high-stakes issues. A global PR industry advocate, she has spoken at Davos, moderated at Cannes Lions and co-authored The Page Society’s Beyond Communication report. She was also a 2024 PRWeek Woman of Distinction.