Leadership in 2026 is an invitation to navigate uncharted territory. AI is opening possibilities we couldn’t have imagined a year ago. Global dynamics are shifting, creating new opportunities and challenges daily. The strategies that seemed solid last quarter are evolving into something better by lunch. And through it all, your team is looking to you, seeking that steady presence called confidence.
Here’s what every great leader discovers: the higher you climb, the more you’re asked to lead through ambiguity. You’re making bold decisions with incomplete information. The opportunities are bigger. The landscape is more dynamic. And finding your footing in this ever-changing terrain is part of the journey.
Most leadership advice tells you to “stay positive” or “trust your gut.” But what happens when you need something more concrete, more actionable? Team Simon has a different approach, one that sounds counterintuitive but is backed by both neuroscience and Simon’s own experience: Stop running from your worst-case scenario. Instead, rehearse it out loud until it bores you.
Why Your Brain Needs This Right Now
In times of rapid change, our brains naturally work overtime trying to protect us. They run simulations of everything that could go wrong, keeping us stuck in analysis paralysis. But here’s the beautiful paradox: when we deliberately engage with these scenarios instead of suppressing them, we take back our power. We transform anxiety into action. We reclaim our confidence not by denying uncertainty, but by proving to ourselves we can handle whatever comes.
This is about building genuine, earned confidence. The kind that doesn’t crumble when things get hard. The kind that lets you sleep at night and show up fully for your team in the morning.
Make the Monster Mundane
Here’s the specific practice: Take that scenario playing on loop in your mind and voice it dramatically, like you’re directing a scene from an over-the-top action movie. Out loud. With theatrical flair.
“The product launch faces unexpected challenges. Some clients hesitate. The board has tough questions. I’m standing in a conference room navigating a difficult conversation about our investment and timeline while competitors move fast. I’m being tested. The team is watching how I handle this.”
Say it again. Add dramatic pauses. Make it theatrical. Repeat until the emotional charge transforms into something familiar and manageable.
This is about training your brain to recognize that even challenging scenarios are navigable. Simon uses this technique before major talks, transforming nervous energy into focused readiness. As he puts it: “Uncertainty kills confidence because our brains catastrophize silently. Instead of suppressing it, voice it dramatically… Repeat until the drama fizzles.”
Your Brain on Rehearsal
This practice is grounded in exposure therapy, a well-established psychological technique. Research published in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders demonstrates that repeated exposure to feared scenarios, even through imagination and verbalization, transforms the emotional intensity of those fears. Your amygdala, the brain’s alert system, learns to recalibrate its response.
Neuroscience research shows that when we silently ruminate on challenging scenarios, our brains activate stress responses. But when we externalize and repeatedly rehearse these scenarios, we engage different neural pathways, ones associated with cognitive control and emotional regulation. We move from reactive to responsive.
Dr. Michelle Craske, a leading anxiety researcher at UCLA, has shown that repeated exposure works precisely because it updates our brain’s assessment of what we can handle. When we rehearse and the catastrophe doesn’t materialize, our confidence naturally rebuilds. The challenge becomes manageable.
Why Courage Isn’t a Solo Act
This practice becomes even more powerful when combined with another truth Simon champions about leadership courage. He often says: “I do not believe that courage is deep internal fortitude. Dig down deep and find the courage. I just don’t think that’s true.”
Instead, Simon has discovered that real courage, and the confidence that accompanies it, comes from relationships. “The people I’ve met who truly have courage, courage that we don’t have. If you ask them, why did you do it? They all say the same thing. Because they would have done it for me.”
So pair the worst-case rehearsal with that leadership buddy, that one person you can be completely honest with. After you’ve rehearsed your challenging scenario into familiarity, share it with them. Not for solutions, but for perspective. As Simon puts it: “All you need is one person in your life, one who says to you, I gotcha. I gotcha. If this whole thing goes sideways, I’ll still be there with you. Or they’ll put their hand on your shoulder and say, you got this.”
How to Actually Do This
Here’s what this looks like: Block 15 minutes on your calendar. Find a private space: your car, a conference room, a walk outside. Voice your specific challenging scenario with theatrical energy. Don’t just think it; perform it. Make it so dramatic that it becomes almost comedic.
Then ask: “Okay, and if that actually happened… then what?” Walk through your actual response plan. Who would you call? What would you do first? How have you navigated challenges before?
Do this regularly when you’re facing major uncertainty. The goal isn’t to convince yourself nothing will ever be difficult. It’s to prove to yourself that whatever comes, you’re capable of handling it.
Confidence isn’t the absence of uncertainty. It’s uncertainty that’s been looked in the eye, rehearsed, and transformed into fuel. When you can narrate your challenging scenario with the same energy as a dramatic movie trailer, you’ve taken back your power.
The uncertainty isn’t going anywhere. But your relationship with it can transform entirely.
What’s one scenario on your mind right now? Give yourself 60 seconds today to narrate it out loud. You might be surprised how quickly clarity emerges.
