Leading Without a Map: Governance, Risk & Decision-Making in Uncertain Times — with Darlene Hyde

We’re living through a moment of real uncertainty — geopolitically, economically, and technologically. The old playbooks are breaking down. The rules are shifting. And leaders are being asked to make high-stakes decisions without a clear map.

In this episode, I sit down with veteran executive and board leader Darlene Hyde to explore how governance, leadership, and decision-making must evolve in times of disruption.

Drawing on decades of experience across major institutions and sectors — including housing, finance, transit, telecommunications, and public interest governance — Darlene shares practical insight on how boards and executives can move beyond traditional oversight toward foresight and insight.

We discuss:

• Why today’s leaders must “read the world,” not just the room
• Governance in a period of geopolitical and economic rupture
• How boards should think about risk when uncertainty is the baseline
• Why silence and over-compliance can create hidden danger
• The growing importance of diverse and non-homogeneous boards
• Speaking up at the board table — especially for newer directors
• Technology and AI literacy as a shared responsibility — not a specialist silo
• Calculated risk vs. inaction risk
• Housing, infrastructure, and transit as long-term economic multipliers
• Where Darlene sees opportunity — and why she remains optimistic about the next generation of leaders

This is a timely, big-picture conversation about leadership under pressure — and how organizations can stay principled, pragmatic, and forward-looking when the environment is shifting fast.

Connect with Darlene Hyde on LinkedIn (link in show notes and feature article).

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