For many business owners, transition has traditionally been something left for later, tied to succession or a future moment when the timing felt right. That approach is shifting.

Some businesses are built in environments where conditions are predictable. Others are built where conditions are constantly shifting. For Geoff Gay, leading Athabasca Basin Development has meant operating in the latter. Northern geography, resource cycles and global forces all shape the outcome, often in ways that’re outside any single company’s control.

Leadership is often associated with control, decisiveness and having all the answers. Phil Jewell sees it differently. From leading soldiers early in his career to building leadership programs across North America, his perspective has been shaped by environments where clarity, trust and accountability aren’t optional.