Tolerance for ambiguity: A leadership strength that systems leaders need

A day at the sustainability dialogue of Mercedes-Benz – and why it became clear there how much modern leadership has to do with ambiguity.
Amid shiny car bodies, rethought materials, and ambitious sustainability goals, this day was not only about the future of mobility – but also about the future of leadership.

This year's sustainability dialogue of Mercedes-Benz brought together executives from the corporation with representatives from science, business, and society: from the Hans Böckler Foundation to the University of Konstanz to Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Bank.

Lecture on the topic "Tolerance of Ambiguity as a Leadership Strength"

After a look at the latest Mercedes models, where sustainability goes far beyond CO₂ emissions, I had the opportunity to bring the topic to a human level with my lecture "Tolerance of Ambiguity as a Leadership Strength – Navigating in the Ambiguity of the Future": What does it mean for leadership when decisions are increasingly based not on clear data but on contradictory realities?
Ambiguity is not just ambiguity.

One of the most surprising insights of the day was: Tolerance of ambiguity has many faces. It is often understood as the ability to endure uncertainty – but it goes far beyond that.
There are forms of ambiguity that can only be recognized at second glance: Logic of impact, for example, that is omnipresent in everyday leadership.

An example from leadership or business practice

An example that made many smile in the room: A leader struggles for months for a budget to enable an important training seminar for their team. Finally, the time has come – the employees go, come back ... and are still disappointed.
The goal was right, the intention good – and yet there remains the feeling that the effort did not have the hoped-for effect.
Such contradictions are typical for complex systems. Tolerance of ambiguity here means remaining able to act, instead of getting lost in meaninglessness.

The good news: Tolerance of ambiguity can be trained

What surprised many participants: Tolerance of ambiguity is not a fixed personality trait – it is developable. It emerges where self-leadership, attitude, and resilience come together.
The training starts with one's own perception:
• How do I react to ambiguity?
• Where do I feel inner pressure to decide hastily?
• How do I endure tension without falling into activism or withdrawal?
Tolerance of ambiguity can be cultivated – through conscious reflection, through perspective changes, and through the courage to keep processes open. Those who strengthen this ability expand their action spaces – especially in a world that is no longer developing linearly.

From lone fighter to systems leader

In my lecture, I present a model that elevates tolerance of ambiguity to a new level: the concept of systems leadership. This originally comes from the NGO context – such as in dealing with global challenges like climate change or the Ebola pandemic. Where no single organization or leader can solve the problem alone, it requires people who build networks, facilitate dialogues, and share power.
This way of thinking has also arrived in companies. Systems leaders operate not only within their organization but between systems – they understand leadership as a collective process, where cooperation emerges beyond hierarchies.

Developing the mindset of a systems leader

The mindset of such leaders is clearly defined:
• Stay open: no hasty answers, allow true learning.
• Curate new conversations: bring the right actors together.
• Promote shared power: practice servant leadership – balance between authority and new voices.
• Innovation through co-creation: joint solution development instead of silo thinking.
• Show passion: emotional connection with mission and network.
• Live commitment: endure despite complexity and long timelines.
• Develop own skills: reflection and continuous learning.
Systems leadership means: leadership is no longer a solo run, but a resonance space. Success arises where leaders are willing to share control, connect responsibility, and recognize diversity as strength.

The discussion: Between rationality and trust

In the discussion round following my lecture at the sustainability dialogue of Mercedes-Benz, it became clear how ambivalent the topic appears:
Leaders know that they need to allow more trust and self-organization – and yet the fear of losing control is palpable.

One participant put it aptly: "We have grown up with the expectation of having everything under control. Today, we must learn that influence often arises where we do not control at all."
This insight prompted reflection but also a noticeable spirit of initiative. Because tolerance of ambiguity does not mean allowing everything to unfold.
It means maintaining the framework even when the path is constantly changing.
It demands leaders who embody both orientation and openness – an attitude that becomes real leadership strength in times of multiple crises.

My conclusion from the sustainability dialogue

The day at Mercedes-Benz showed: sustainability, transformation, and leadership are not separate worlds. They follow the same principles – complexity, networking, ambiguity. Leadership in the future will consist less in providing answers and more in asking good questions, enduring tensions, and collaboratively developing viable solutions.
Tolerance of ambiguity is not a passing trend. It is the key competence for leadership in the digital and sustainable age – and it can be learned, trained, and passed on. Those who master it will not only survive the future but shape it.