Make your way through the darkness of this uncertain time, into the light at the other end of it.

Many people say today, “We are in unprecedented times”. And it is difficult to deny it.

Authoritative specialists with a worldwide reputation in the field of management give a more accurate characteristic of our times. They say our times are ambiguous.

World-famous author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek proves we have been through tough business situations like this before.

This is not the first time and it may not be the last, but the context of what we are going through may be a lot more difficult and sudden than we have previously experienced, he says.

Of course, it is easy to fall into a state of fear or even panic. It is human nature to brood and worry – and none of us are immune from these impulses in extraordinarily challenging times. But perhaps, it will be useful to take a bit different viewpoint of our current circumstances.

It is a surprising fact that half of the prominent companies currently listed on the Dow Jones were born in recession. Those companies understood the opportunities that disruption and tough periods offer and created something new from them.

Simon Sinek put forward the idea of the Infinite Game. If you have not heard about him and this concept already, you can watch his YouTube videos on the topic.

In his book The Infinite Game, Simon Sinek says that the players change, but the game does not. It is not about competing and being ‘the best’. Rather, it is about asking, ‘how can I make myself, and my organization a better version tomorrow than today?

By constantly striving to be better tomorrow than we are today, we free ourselves from the fixed mindset of the type ‘I know it all’ and embrace the growth mindset of lifelong learning, opening ourselves up to the possibilities that come from uncertainty and change.

The pandemic has forced a mass digital transformation. Some organisations – including huge multinational corporations – have been unprepared for this transformation. Business models are already changing, so the challenge for us is to rethink and reinvent our business moving forward. Organisations that cling to the status quo, who focus their energies on preserving their current state, are going to find themselves in trouble when we reach the light side of this dark tunnel we are currently in – no matter how much money they have, experts in management warn. Talking about pay cuts and indulging in short-term thinking will not save them.

Now is the time to think big and boldly, to shift our behaviour. This what the authoritative specialists in the field of management advise us to do.

They suggest we set aside our fear and try to embrace the unknown.

This disruption is opening opportunities, and organisations who identify these, and approach them with a growth mindset, will be poised to seize that opportunity. Entrepreneurs may invest in the skill sets they need to not only survive, but to thrive. Most employees have the right skills for the challenges ahead.

We have the chance to ask ourselves, how will we prepare ourselves for the change that is coming? And if we make efforts to prepare ourselves, we will come out stronger.

The question is not how we can take advantage of the situation or milk the crisis to our own benefit. Entrepreneurs are advised to look at how they can differentiate themselves as an organisation, helping the citizens of their country and across the globe, and leading the way through the darkness of this uncertain time, into the light at the other end of it.

We can explore what new ways of work and opportunities we can find coming out of the crisis we are currently in. It should be noted, of course, that the situation prompts us to adopt a new attitude to digital support of our activities. Informational technologies have become an inevitable new norm for us now, and the new way of work.

Alas, the dark side of this is digital fatigue – or even digital burnout – from a constant rotation of online meetings and work expectations.

Many managers say they have to spend currently lots of time in online conferences.

We all face great challenges with our time and mental resources. When work and home are one and the same, it is easy to blur or forget the boundaries. There is a threat to harm our mental and physical health, if we work 24 hours a day.

Our emotional and physical wellbeing is of utmost importance. We must set appropriate boundaries and take care of our mental health and wellbeing at this time.

These may not be unprecedented times, but they are for many of us the most challenging times we have faced in our lifetime.

Take care of yourselves, strive to find some work-life balance. Try to move calmly and assuredly forward with a sense of renewed purpose and excitement about the opportunities that may lie ahead.