🧭 No Playbook, No Pause: What Canadian Leadership Must Navigate Now

There’s a growing recognition among leaders that we’ve crossed into a different kind of moment.

Not a cycle.
Not a downturn.
Not a temporary disruption.

But a period where the old rules no longer fully apply — and the new ones haven’t been written yet.

Geopolitics are shifting. Technology is accelerating. Economic assumptions are being tested. Institutions are under strain. And the familiar playbooks that guided decision-making for decades feel increasingly inadequate.

In short: many leaders are being asked to make high-stakes decisions without a clear map — or a reliable playbook.

That theme is at the centre of the latest episode of Canada Now, where I sit down with Darlene Hyde — a seasoned executive, board chair, and governance leader whose career spans housing, finance, transit, telecommunications, insurance, and public institutions.

Our conversation wasn’t about predictions or quick fixes. It was about how leadership needs to evolve in uncertain times.

One of the most resonant ideas Darlene shared is that uncertainty is no longer a temporary condition — it’s the environment leaders are operating in.

This has important implications.

If uncertainty is the baseline, then waiting for perfect information becomes a liability. So does clinging too tightly to precedent. Leaders — particularly board members and senior executives — are being asked to exercise judgment, not just oversight.

Darlene described this as a shift from oversight to foresight.

Oversight asks: How’s performance? Are we compliant? Where’s the risk?
Foresight asks: Are we positioned for what’s next?

That distinction matters more than ever.

Another idea that stayed with me from this conversation is the difference between reading the room and reading the world.

Reading the room is internal. It’s about alignment, tone, and dynamics.
Reading the world is external. It’s about geopolitical signals, economic shifts, demographic change, technology, and social expectations.

Many leadership failures don’t come from poor intentions — they come from leaders who are overly focused inward while the ground shifts beneath them.

In this moment, leaders are being asked to widen their lens.

Not to panic — but to pay attention.

Canada Now | Episode 14: Leading Without a Map: Governance, Risk & Decision-Making in Uncertain Times

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This is where governance quietly enters the conversation in a powerful way.

In the episode, Darlene makes the case that governance is often misunderstood. It’s frequently treated as a compliance function or a risk-mitigation exercise — something designed to slow things down.

In reality, governance is one of the highest leverage points an organization has.

Boards set tone.
Boards shape culture.
Boards influence risk appetite.
Boards determine whether diverse perspectives are invited — or quietly excluded.

In times of uncertainty, strong governance doesn’t prevent action. It enables better action.

That’s especially relevant in Canada, where caution and consensus are often cultural strengths — but can become limitations if they tip into silence or avoidance.

As Darlene noted, not speaking up is also a decision — and often a risky one.

A recurring tension in this moment is the discomfort leaders feel when making decisions with incomplete data.

But waiting for certainty is no longer realistic.

The question isn’t whether leaders will act with imperfect information — it’s how thoughtfully they do so.

Strong leaders:

Standing still can feel safe. In reality, it often carries its own risk.

Despite the weight of the conversation, this episode isn’t pessimistic.

In fact, one of the most compelling takeaways is Darlene’s belief that moments like this create space for stronger leadership — not just louder leadership.

There are real opportunities ahead:

But those opportunities won’t unlock themselves.

They require leaders who are willing to engage with uncertainty, not retreat from it.

We may not have a clear playbook for this moment. But that doesn’t mean leadership is impossible.

It means leadership looks different:
more reflective,
more curious,
more willing to listen — and to decide.

🎧 You can listen to the full conversation with Darlene Hyde on the latest episode of Canada Now.

If you’re navigating uncertainty in your own organization — whether as an executive, board member, or emerging leader — this conversation is worth your time.

Darlene Hyde is a veteran Canadian executive and board leader with more than three decades of senior leadership experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Her work has spanned housing, financial services, transit, telecommunications, insurance, commercial development, manufacturing, and organized real estate.

She is widely recognized for her strengths in governance, strategic leadership, organizational transformation, and stakeholder alignment, and has led complex institutional change across multiple sectors.

Darlene currently serves on several significant boards, including Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and TransLink. She is Chair of Stabilization Central Credit Union of BC and the Vancouver chapter of McGill University’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy initiative, and chairs multiple governance, technology, and human resources committees. She holds the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation and is a recent recipient of the ICD Fellowship Award — the organization’s highest honour for contributions to governance in Canada.

A former CEO of the BC Real Estate Association and Business in Vancouver CEO of the Year (Non-Profit Sector), Darlene is known as both a builder and a turnaround architect, with a particular focus on strengthening governance practices and leadership effectiveness in complex environments.

Learn more:
Find Darlene Hyde on LinkedIn

If you’re a fan of Canadian innovation and curated Canadian content, check out some of my other favourite newsletters on Beehiiv! 🐝👇

— Ashley Smith (@ashleysmithnow)