Leadership without a map: What today’s most trusted leaders do differently
There’s a new kind of pressure shaping our industry, and no, it’s not just budgets, talent acquisition and retention or even venue booking cycles.
It’s the pressure to lead through uncertainty without a clear map. The pressure to steer your team, your business, your clients, while the rules keep shifting around you.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone.
In our latest report, we asked eight respected leaders from across the global meetings and events industry one urgent question:
How do you lead with impact in extreme times?
Their answers might surprise you.
This isn't a report about crisis PR or reactive planning. It’s about what leadership looks like in 2025 and beyond—when clarity matters more than control, and when presence (and values), not perfection, make the biggest difference.
As Holly Ransom , CEO of Emergent Global, puts it:
“We're leading through times that feel like a group project between chaos, uncertainty and rapid change... and none of them read the brief.”
So, what are high-impact leaders actually doing differently?
They start with themselves.
They lead with clarity, not control.
In a noisy, unpredictable world, the most trusted leaders are those who stay anchored in their values. They don’t need all the answers, but they do offer direction, transparency and calm.
“Turbulence strips away the non-essential and forces us to focus on what truly matters—people.”
— Dr Ferron Gray, President and Founder, Grae Matta Foundation
They treat empathy as a core skill, not a soft one.
You won’t find these leaders commanding from the front. They’re listening. They’re creating space. They’re building cultures where people can speak up—and stay resilient.
“Great leaders don’t have all the answers. They ask better questions.”
— Cameron Curtis, CEO, LGBT MPA
They respond to disruption with intention.
The leaders we spoke to don’t wait for normal to return. They design for change. They bring in AI, foresight and systems thinking, not as buzzwords but as tools to reimagine what’s possible.
“Standing still while everything changes isn’t stability—it’s irrelevance.”
— Holly Ransom
They lead themselves first.
This isn’t performative leadership. It’s intentional. And it shows up in the day-to-day: how impactful leaders run meetings, how they set expectations, how they treat people under pressure.
“If you can’t lead your own energy, values and direction—why should anyone trust you to lead theirs?”
— Holly Ransom
They know the next generation is already watching.
This report clearly shows that good leadership is not about the spotlight. These leaders know their job is to model courage, consistency and humility, especially when things get hard.
“Resilience isn’t built during calm times. It’s shaped by how you respond when things go sideways.”
— Dr Ferron Gray
We’ve captured all of this—and a whole lot more—in our latest report How to lead in extreme times.
Featuring insights from leaders at IMEX, UFI, Emergent Global, Destinations International, ICCA Africa, AIM Group International, LGBT Meeting Professionals Association and the Grae Matta Foundation, it’s a powerful, human look at what leadership demands of us right now—and what it will take to thrive in the years ahead.
Cameron Curtis, Founder & Chief Innovator, C2 Association Strategies; CEO, LGBT Meeting Professionals Association
Frank Murangwa, Regional Director, Africa, ICCA
Don Welsh, President and CEO, Destinations International
Angeles Moreno, Country Manager Spain, AIM Group International
Holly Ransom, CEO, Emergent Global
Chris Skeith OBE, Managing Director & CEO, UFI
Dr Ferron Gray, President & Founder, Grae Matta Foundation
Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group
If you’re a leader—or an aspiring one—you’ll want to read this.
Let’s talk: What’s one leadership lesson you’ve learned during really pressurized times? Anything you'd like to share with us? Drop it in the comments. We’d love to know—and grow—together.
What a great line-up of contributors – many thanks for this report, team IMEX!
CEO | Entrepreneur | Strategist| Industry Influencer | Transformational Change Agent | Speaker | Connector | Author | Mother
2moThank you for continuing to create the space for important conversations and for including me in this esteemed group of global events industry leaders. This research is proof that great leaders take risks, ask the difficult questions, and put other people before themselves.
Speaker, Moderator & EmCee | Leadership Development Specialist | Fulbright Scholar, Harvard Kennedy School Class of '21 |
2moThank you for highlighting this important research! It was an honor to contribute alongside such respected industry leaders. This insight about being the clearest voice really resonates—what I consistently see in organizations navigating uncertainty well is leaders who focus on asking better questions, surrounding themselves with diverse perspectives and creating the conditions for smart risk taking in pursuit of answers.
NYT Bestselling Author | Keynote Speaker | Founder, Unstoppable Momentum™ | Change Leadership + Sustainable Resilience Expert helping leaders own change, adapt in real-time + lead with grit, grace + grounded momentum
2moThis deeply resonates. We are leading in an era of what I call the "so muchness". So much change, so much uncertainty, so much noise, so much pressure to have it all figured out. But as I always say: There is no normal or new normal. There is only what is now and what is next. And leadership today demands that we show up grounded, real, and resilient, especially when there’s no map. This beautifully captures what I see every day in my work—leaders learning to navigate without a map, anchoring themselves in their values, emotional intelligence, and the power to lead themselves first. Because that’s where it begins. You can’t lead others well if you’re running on empty yourself. The most trusted leaders I work with aren’t waiting for calm to return. They’re designing for change, modeling courage, and building cultures of trust in the middle of the mess. This is sustainable resilience. This is leading through the so muchness with grit, grace, and grounded direction. Thank you for spotlighting what real human leadership looks like.