From companies to nonprofits to community groups, there are a lot of people around me experiencing a lot of uncertainty right now – some of which is potentially existential to their group, team, or organization. Emotions are running hot. Anxiety is high. Answers are still few.

But, leaders can’t wait for answers.

We must lead: ourselves, our people, and our companies.

Here are 6 tips to consider as you lead through uncertainty:

1) Communicate more than you think you need to. You cannot overcommunicate during uncertain times. As I told one CEO recently about his communications to the broader company: “Tell them what you know. Tell them what you’re watching. Tell them what you still don’t know. Update them at least every week. Update your managers every day if possible. And, make sure your managers are coming back to you with what they’ve heard from the team.”

2) Remember silence is never silence. If it seems quiet around you, it probably just means people are afraid to ask you. Rest assured, they are asking each other and together crafting answers and stories that may or may not have anything to do with reality. Return to #1.

3) Create deliberate forums for questions and concerns. Create a safe and honest space for people to ask their questions and voice their concerns. This could be in-person or could be totally anonymous and tech-enabled. Either way, don’t wait for them to come to you. If only a few people speak up or show up, that’s okay. That’s a few more people to fill the silence with something more accurate. Return to #2.

4) Be willing to say “I don’t know” but commit to trying to find out. Be honest. Be transparent. But, do your best to make sure your people don’t feel like their experiencing fear and anxiety on their own. Acknowledge their concerns and the impact of “I don’t know” on them and the stakeholders they represent. You can act and be empathetic even if you don’t yet have an answer or know what to do.

5) Control what you can control. Ask for answers. Seek answers. Recognize when they don’t exist. Move forward with what you can control. Don’t get lost in what you can’t. During uncertain times, “what ifs” can distract from and derail “what is”. As I suggested to a team of managers: put something up in your office with a column for “can control” and a column for “can’t control.” When you feel people spiraling, ask them to put the topic in the correct column on the wall. If you can’t control it, acknowledge it, but leave it.

6) Stay solution-oriented. A leader can’t fix a problem they still don’t understand. The problems people are concerned with are still hiding behind countless social, political, and economic unknowns. Still, leaders can invite others to be collaborators in navigating uncertain times and simultaneously prevent negative spiraling. Keep inviting and asking: how “might we?” to stay focused on possibility, adaptability, and controllable variables.