Pause Before You Pounce: Leading with Calm in the Never Normal
Jun 28, 2024
When an unfamiliar crisis hits, many leaders instinctively leap into action. But here’s the thing: this is the exact moment when you need to take a breath. To pause before you pounce.
This pause is a counterintuitive response to stress, but it’s a skill that can be trained—a deliberate calm. In today’s “never normal” world, where uncertainty is the only constant, the ability to calm yourself deliberately is a critical leadership differentiator.
Why? Because calm is contagious.
When you’re calm, your team feels it. Their heart rates lower, their minds clear, and their ability to respond improves. Matt Church, leadership speaker and author, says, “The leader in the room is the person with the lowest heart rate.” Calm leads to clear thinking. It’s not just a personality trait; it’s a skill you can learn, develop, and share.
The Power of Calm Leadership
We’ve all seen leaders who rush around looking stressed—skipping lunch, working late, and managing a calendar booked solid for weeks. They speak abruptly, always seem distracted, and achieve great results, but at what cost? Their approach often leaves teams feeling anxious and disconnected.
Compare that to a leader who stays calm under pressure. They take time to chat, listen attentively, and provide visible, felt leadership. Their meetings are effective and inclusive. They confidently make decisions in uncertainty but remain open to advice. These leaders also work hard, but they make it look effortless.
Which leader would you prefer?
Which leader are you?
Which leader do you want to be?
Calm Leadership in Practice
If you’d like to become a leader who embodies calm under pressure, here are some reflections and practical steps:
Questions for Reflection:
- What are my responsibilities here?
- Where can I take ownership and accountability?
- How can I accept what’s happening without assigning blame?
Try This Experiment:
Start your meetings with a check-in. A simple round of sharing—how people are feeling or what they did on the weekend—can shift the meeting’s tone and foster psychological safety.
Looking for inspiration? These online tools offer check-in prompts to re-energise your process:
Work With Me
If you’re ready to embrace deliberate calm and lead with clarity and confidence, let’s chat. My mentoring sessions and retreats help leaders like you develop the skills to thrive in uncertainty, create capacity, and lead with impact.
