Uncertainty is like the weather. It's always there, part of the atmosphere, and a condition over which individuals and organizations have very little control. The severity of uncertainty, like the severity of the weather, can rise and fall. At the moment, around the world, CEOs are operating under a series of severe uncertainty alerts.

What story will people tell about your organization over the next ten years? Will they celebrate an enthusiastic innovator that thrived by adapting workforce skills and ways of working to the demands of the new economy? Or will they blame poor financial or operational results, unhappy employees, and community disruption on a short-sighted or delayed talent strategy?

A playbook that should govern America's short-term reaction to the health crisis. Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers. Find the collection here. "WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF." With this tweet, President Donald Trump summarized a disturbingly common reaction to social-distancing measures.