I recently had the opportunity to hear General David D. Thompson, vice chief of space operations for the United States Space Force, speak. He noted that there are always going to be times of change and uncertainty in the world, but when times are particularly tumultuous, our job as leaders is to “ensure that tumult does not turn into turmoil.”

This rings true for almost every leader I’ve worked with across sectors, especially in retail. Over the past year alone, retail leaders have had no shortage of challenges to navigate, including persistent inflation, tariff battles, layoffs, supply chain bottlenecks, and declining consumer confidence. However, the real challenge isn’t juggling these business hurdles; it’s how leaders react and respond to their customers, employees and other stakeholders as these issues develop.

At RHR International, we’ve worked with leaders across some of the world’s most well-known retail brands through times of stress and volatility, and found that people consistently look to their leaders for four things: information, connection, guidance and unity. In most cases, the organizations that emerge more aligned and resilient are led by individuals who lean into these foundational tenets: inform, guide, unite, and connect.

Inform: Communicate Early and Often

Retail is fundamentally a people business, and in times of instability, people crave certainty. When that’s unavailable, they’ll settle for clarity.

When uncertainty strikes, employees are hungry for information. Still, many leaders wait to communicate until they have the full picture. However, delaying key information can cause fear, decreased morale and rumors to spread. This happened with Target after its leadership’s silence in the face of tariffs and fewer shoppers led to anxiety in its workforce. We often share a guiding principle: “The risk of overcommunicating is far less important than leaving the field open to catastrophic rumors.” It’s not about having all the answers; it’s about being upfront about what you know and honest about what you don’t.

Retail is especially vulnerable because businesses rely on consistent, positive consumer interactions driven by the employees who most directly rely on clarity from leadership for guidance on managing their day-to-day interactions.

Connect: Leadership Gets Personal in a Crisis

Information can provide clarity, and connection offers that feeling of stability. Uncertain times provoke emotional isolation and burnout in retail, where frontline employees face both operational pressures and the emotional weight of consumer stress. People need more than just policies, memos and bonding experiences; they need presence and empathy to succeed.

Retail leaders who consistently show up for their teams demonstrate strength by acknowledging that they’ve also been affected. These emotional connections don’t just feel good, they also can help prevent feelings of burnout and turnover.

Guide: Offer Direction, Not Just Optimism

People want strong leaders who are comfortable giving clear direction. Your team doesn’t need a five-year strategy, it needs to know what matters now and how they can contribute.

Stressful times can breed predictable behaviors like decreased productivity, lack of focus or motivation, heightened conflict, and spikes in the rumor mill. These are nearly impossible to eliminate completely, but their effects can be mitigated with steady guidance and clear priorities beyond vague calls like, “Put this behind us” and “Get back to work,” which may be counterproductive.

Take Walmart’s announcement of price hikes on thousands of items in response to rising tariffs. This type of move understandably unsettles frontline teams and consumers, but its specificity of what to expect gave reassurance that the company knew how to adapt accordingly and minimize job cuts.

e.l.f. Beauty took a different approach when faced with a similar scenario, prioritizing immediate, transparent communication to prevent turmoil during tariff uncertainty. This proves that ongoing candidness from leadership helps employees manage expectations.

Unite: Create Meaning and Belonging

In turbulent times, people naturally look to build community and rally around what binds them, such as shared values, a meaningful purpose and the knowledge that they’re not alone. Leaders can help reinforce the feeling of belonging and community by celebrating their team’s contributions and connecting the work to a greater mission.

Leaders who tap into this send a strong message of, “We’ve been here before, we’ve adapted before and what we’re doing now still reflects who we are.”

Final Thoughts

Leadership in retail has never been more human. Staying true to the unique attributes that make us human — e.g., empathy, community and communication — will ultimately push us forward. Inform, connect, guide and unite are more than a framework; they help leaders steady teams and control surrounding chaos by showing up.

These four concepts apply to customers as well, as even they need this reassurance. Don’t wait for a routine transaction. Reach out regularly with support and a clear message of partnership. Nobody has all the answers, but we do have the choice to lead with clarity, presence, purpose and heart.

As a senior partner and chief commercial officer, Joanna Starek, PhD, oversees RHR International’s products and services, marketing, and sales.