Sensing as a Leadership Skill: How it shapes teams and builds resilience

Photo of Cécile with a team putting their hands on top of each other

In leadership, we often talk about the balance between expertise and intuition, between knowing and sensing. Some leaders rely solely on logic, data, and past experience, while others lean too much on instinct, making decisions without fully assessing the situation. The most adaptive and resilient leaders integrate both well.

This raises a crucial question: How does sensing shape leadership, and how can it help create stronger, more resilient teams? 🧠

⚖️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴

Over-relying on 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 can lead to overthinking, analysis paralysis, and a disconnect from the team’s reality. Over-relying on 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 can result in impulsive decisions based on incomplete information.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲—𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱.

🛡️ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴

One of the most powerful applications of sensing in leadership is its role in psychological safety. Leaders who attune themselves to nonverbal cues, emotional undercurrents, and the unspoken team dynamics create environments where people feel safe to contribute.

When leaders sense what isn’t being said, they can:

✅ Address concerns before they escalate into conflict

✅ Foster trust and openness within their teams

✅ Create space for diverse perspectives and ideas

This is what sets great leaders apart from competent managers—the ability to lead beyond the obvious, to sense the emotional and cultural undercurrents of an organization, and to respond with wisdom.

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂?

Next, I'll be looking at some practical tips for sensing into what happens at work. 📩 Sign up for my newsletter and get insights directly into your inbox. Subscribe now, email info@workinglife.co.uk 💙