1. Communicate a clear, morally resonant response

Leaders must give employees a purpose that feels meaningful. "Your job is to convey a reason for being that makes people feel like they are part of something important," Gulati writes.

That means going beyond products or services and emphasizing why the work matters. For example, when Wayne Ting became CEO of Lime, an urban bike share company, he didn't focus on convenient rides; instead, he framed the company's mission as saving the planet by cutting carbon emissions.

At Careem, a Middle Eastern ride-hailing company, founders spoke about unlocking mobility for women who had long been denied that freedom. And at Anthropic, Dario and Daniela Amodei positioned their purpose as "the responsible development and maintenance of advanced AI for the long-term benefit of humanity."

According to Gulati, "[t]o arouse passion, commitment, and pride in a workforce, you can't just describe what you're making; you must reveal why it matters." Storytelling plays a central role. Leaders can help employees see themselves as heroes in a collective quest by sharing stories of adversity, sacrifice, and values in action.

2. Embody and model organizational values

The second strategy requires leaders to show, not tell. "Show people through your actions, not your words, what you truly stand for in ways that feel genuine and relatable," Gulati writes.

Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, for example, lived her values of environmental activism so authentically that she became inseparable from the brand. Larry Fink at BlackRock reinforced his fiduciary-first approach by never allowing the firm to front-run trades, constantly reminding employees to "never forget who we work for."

Other executives have demonstrated the same principle. Satya Nadella embodied the growth mindset he promoted at Microsoft by admitting mistakes and modeling curiosity. Indra Nooyi pushed PepsiCo toward healthier products while also cultivating a positive work environment. She also famously wrote personal letters to the parents of senior leaders, thanking them for how they raised their children.

3. Display stoic calm, determination, and focus

The third approach emphasizes emotional steadiness. Leaders must "[c]are deeply, but don't let results — particularly disappointing ones — consume you," Gulati writes. Instead, leaders should show resilience, determination, and focus on the process.

Nick Saban, a legendary football coach at the University of Alabama, calls this "the process," keeping players focused on the work itself rather than obsessing over scoreboards. Gulati connects this mindset to the ancient concept of Bhagavad Gita: "be circumspect, not indifferent."

The bigger opportunity in anxious times

As economic uncertainty continues to grow, many workers are feeling anxious and burned out. In April, Gallup reported that global employee engagement sits at just 21%, down from last year, with the sharpest declines among managers under 35. Anxiety and malaise often prevent employees from speaking up, innovating, or playing offense. Companies, in turn, retreat to cost-cutting and copycat strategies.

Yet Gulati argues this is precisely the moment for a new kind of leadership. Leaders must be strategists and empaths, helping teams replace fear with a can-do spirit. "True leadership is about tuning into emotions and behaving in ways that make others feel more capable and energized," he writes, quoting Maya Angelou: "People forget what you said and what you did, but they never forget how you made them feel."

By grounding leadership in purpose, values, and calm, "you move everyone toward a more courageous collective mindset that will help propel you through uncertainty toward a more successful future," Gulati writes.