How To Thrive in Uncertainty: The OODLA Loop and the Power of Value Orientation

With headlines dominated by uncertain tariffs, global conflict, tax changes, and rising buyer hesitancy, it's easy to get overwhelmed. Business owners are being forced to make tough decisions in what military strategists call a VUCA environment: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous.

To survive—and even thrive—in VUCA conditions, we must lean into clarity. That clarity comes from orienting ourselves around what truly matters: VALUE. Specifically, the value of your company, and the value you create for your customers.

Let’s talk about how the OODLA Loop can guide you through the chaos and toward confident, value-driven action. The core idea here is value orientation—aligning every observation, decision, and action with the goal of increasing value for both your company and your customers.

What Is the OODLA Loop?

Originally developed as the OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) for military strategy, we’ve expanded it by adding a vital business component: Listen. Thus, the OODLA Loop provides a more complete decision-making cycle for today’s leaders.

1. Observe

2. Orient

3. Decide

4. Act

In the context of guiding a business in an uncertain world, here’s how we apply it to value creation:

Step 1: Observe

In a world screaming for rapid response, the greatest risk is reactive leadership. Wisdom begins with listening. Take time to hear from the key voices in and around your business:

• Listen to employees: What are they experiencing on the front lines?

• Listen to customers: What outcomes are they looking for? What new challenges are they facing?

• Listen to advisors: What insights can your board of advisors provide based on what they’re seeing in the market? (Don't have a board of advisors? This might be a great time to form one.)

In a world screaming for rapid response, the greatest risk is reactive leadership.

Napoleon Hill wrote in Think and Grow Rich: "Deliberation is the seed of wisdom, and with the help of a Master Mind Group, you can plant this seed and harvest successful decisions." Gathering insights from your internal team and trusted external advisors creates a foundation for better decisions.

Leadership starts with clarity. Listening creates the space for insight.

Step 2: Orient

After observing, it's time to orient around value—value for your business and value for your customers.

For growing the value of the business:

• Are you measuring and tracking business valuation?

• Where can you create consistent and scalable EBITDA?

• How can you grow both net-new and cross-sell revenue?

• How can you make the company less dependent on you, and attractive to a future buyer?

• What processes could be optimized to reduce risk and increase profit?

For adding value to your customers:

• As the market changes, how are your customers changing?

• What new or slightly different outcomes are they seeking?

• How could you align current (or new) products and services with those outcomes?

• What are customers struggling with that you are uniquely positioned to solve?

True orientation is aligning every team member and strategy around these two dimensions of value. This is what we call value orientation—the strategic practice of calibrating your business around what drives value forward in both valuation and customer outcomes.

Value orientation—the strategic practice of calibrating your business around what drives value forward in both valuation and customer outcomes.

This is the foundation of sustainable growth. Without orienting around business valuation and customer value, you risk missing opportunities and instead reducing value and becoming less relevant to customers.

Step 2.1 Pray

Yes, you read that right. Decision-making in uncertain times doesn’t just require knowledge. It demands wisdom. In times like these, I’m reminded of James 1:5—“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.”

Leaders need more than data; we need discernment.

Leaders need more than data; we need discernment. Ask for it. Build moments of silence and reflection into your strategy sessions. It’s not weakness—it’s your greatest strategic advantage. (Read Beyond Knowledge: Why Wisdom Creates Lasting Business Value.)

Step 3: Decide

With clarity from observation, orientation, and prayerful reflection, the next step is to make a decision. In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill states, "Successful people make decisions quickly and change them slowly, if ever." Indecision is the enemy of momentum. Once you’ve oriented around value and sought wisdom, it’s time to act decisively.

Decisions made during uncertainty must be grounded in clarity about value:

• What will increase the value of the business?

• What will deliver the most value to our ideal clients?

Hill also underscores the importance of advisors in making sound decisions: "Deliberation is the seed of wisdom, and with the help of a Master Mind Group, you can plant this seed and harvest successful decisions."

Surround yourself with wise counsel—your board of advisors, key executives, and external partners—to filter your options through the lens of both wisdom and experience.

Surround yourself with wise counsel—your board of advisors, key executives, and external partners—to filter your options through the lens of both wisdom and experience.

As you decide, remember: action without decision is chaos. But decision without action is waste. The goal is confident movement toward value creation.

Step 4: Act

Once you've paused, oriented around value, and sought wisdom, it's time to move. Napoleon Hill reminds us that "Action is the real measure of intelligence." All of the insights, prayers, and decisions mean little without execution.

Bold action aligned with value creation is what separates surviving companies from thriving companies.

Create value for your company by:

• Growing Net-New Revenue and Cross-Sell with your Revenue Growth Engine.

• Improving profitability through Process Optimization.

• Building an engaging environment with your Culture Development Engine.

• Driving excitement and differentiation through your Strategic Innovation Engine.

Anchor all of this in creating value for your customers by:

• Focusing your message on outcomes, not features.

• Enhancing the client experience.

• Solving new and emerging problems.

The companies that lead through VUCA are not those that retreat—but those that recommit to value creation.

Final Thought

In times of uncertainty, we don't need more noise—we need more wisdom. The OODLA Loop gives us a practical path: Pause, Listen, Pray, Act. If you lead with this mindset, you won’t just survive the chaos. You’ll build a company that thrives—and creates lasting value for your team, your customers, and your community.

Origninally published on Darrell Amy's LinkedIn.