The Importance of Calling Out "The World is on Fire" And Leading Anyway
Let’s be real: trying to hit sales targets in 2025 can feel a bit like asking someone to buy a yacht during a thunderstorm.
Every week brings a new headline — economic downturns, violent conflict, another social issue sparking division online and off. Add to that the rising cost of living, anxiety about layoffs, and the emotional toll of doomscrolling, and it’s no wonder that people show up to work distracted, disconnected, or just plain tired.
I used to try to push through all that with toxic positivity: “Let’s focus on what we can control!” or “Eyes on the target, team!” But that approach only created distance between me and my people. It made their very real concerns feel invisible.
I’ve since learned that one of the most powerful things you can do as a leader — especially in sales — is to say the quiet part out loud: Yes, the world feels like it’s on fire right now. And yes, we still have a job to do. Let’s figure it out together.
Acknowledgment is Leadership
Ignoring what’s happening outside the office doesn’t make it go away. It just makes your team question whether leadership understands the reality they’re operating in.
In one team meeting last year, I opened by saying:
“I know there’s a lot happening in the world right now — and it’s okay if that’s affecting how you show up today. I’m feeling it too. Let’s talk about how we adjust together.”
You could feel the temperature in the room drop. Shoulders unclenched. People exhaled.
Acknowledging external chaos doesn’t mean surrendering to it. It just makes space for honest conversation — and from that place, real strategy can emerge.
Healthy Expression Builds Trust
Your team needs permission to be human — especially your high performers who are used to “powering through.”
We’ve incorporated simple rituals into our weekly sales huddles:
A quick “temp check” — how are you showing up today emotionally, on a scale of 1–5?
Space for shoutouts and safe venting — sometimes you need to celebrate, sometimes you need to let something out.
Optional 15-minute “decompression circles” during heavy news cycles, hosted virtually and free of judgment.
These aren’t productivity killers — they’re culture builders. They normalize emotion, reduce burnout, and increase trust. And a team that trusts each other sells better, period.
Scenario Planning Is the New Goal Setting
In a volatile world, rigid targets feel fragile. That’s why we shifted to scenario planning for our sales goals. Instead of one fixed number, we now plan in three tiers:
Initial Target – Realistic target based on current trends
Shared with or by C-Level
Stretch Target – If the market surprises us positively
Team’s goal and affects their compensation packages
Prepared For Target with a Point of No Return– What we can live with if things get worse
C-Level are prepared for this scenario no matter what with a timeline to adapt if needed
This keeps morale intact during tough weeks and gives us room to creatively adapt. It also sparks smarter conversations: “If this deal stalls because of budget cuts, what’s Plan B?” or “What’s a new way to position value during uncertain times?”
We’ve also encouraged cross-functional brainstorms — looping in marketing, customer success, even product — to crowdsource ways to meet targets that don't rely on just “selling harder.”
Managing Up With Empathy and Strategy
Let’s talk about the other pressure point: your boss.
Managing up in times like these is tricky — because they’re under pressure too. But silence is not a strategy. I’ve learned to approach my manager with a mix of empathy and data:
“Here’s what the team is dealing with emotionally and logistically. Here’s how it’s impacting the pipeline. And here are three ways we can adapt — with your support.”
The key is balancing compassion with action. You’re not making excuses — you’re making a case for sustainable performance. Most leaders appreciate this kind of proactive communication, especially when you bring solutions, not just problems.
The Power of Community in Sales
Sales is already one of the most emotionally demanding roles in any company. Doing it during global instability? That takes resilience, and resilience doesn’t come from pretending everything’s fine. It comes from community.
When people feel like they’re part of something — not just a quota machine — they show up differently. They care more. They recover faster. They collaborate better. And yes, they sell more.
So call out the fire. Let it be known. And then remind your team that while we may not control the world, we do control how we show up for each other, every single day.
If you’re a leader trying to figure out how to lead through chaos, Arcana17 offers tools and coaching to help you navigate uncertainty with empathy, strategy, and courage. Because success isn’t about pretending the fire doesn’t exist — it’s about leading people through it with clarity and care.
