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.

Many business owners spend years waiting for the “right time” to make a major decision about their company. Whether that means investing further, bringing in partners or preparing for a sale, the instinct is often to wait for clearer market conditions. Christine Pound believes that moment rarely arrives.