I softened this a little from how the card was originally written but I’ll show the card as it was originally written
In uncertainty, people will abdicate responsibility
I softened this in the intro because this isn’t always true, but it was true in the moment in the organization I was working with, and with the people I was working at the time.
I think at least one of the take aways from this card is that this is dependent on several factors relating to the people and how they view themselves related to the context. There are definitely some people who will take that ownership, and in uncertainty, they will go develop a sense of certainty and direction related to what they want to accomplish. There are however definitely others who are more than willing to back off, and let someone else take the lead and the perceived risk associated with that leadership.
When it comes to our own desires and intentions though, it’s a lot harder to abdicate that responsibility. It may be easier to blame outcomes on external forces if there is uncertainty in your intention or your outcome, but then that’s still an issue of abdicating the responsibility of generating the clarity needed.
If you want to lead, take responsibility.